Keeping your bass boat alive, part 4

<em>All photos and captions by Mark Hicks</em>
<br>Nothing degrades a bass boat's appearance more than old, dirty carpeting. The flip side is nothing gussies up an old bass boat better than new carpeting. This job will likely go down as the dirtiest and most challenging task of this series. Much of the work lies in preparation. You must remove all the old glue and carpet fragments to ensure the new carpeting adheres properly and stays put. I bought marine-grade carpeting and carpet glue for my boat for just under $300.
<p>I first removed all the deck lids with a drill. Remove the locks, stainless steel screws and hinges from the lids and store them in a plastic bag for reassembly.

All photos and captions by Mark Hicks
Nothing degrades a bass boat’s appearance more than old, dirty carpeting. The flip side is nothing gussies up an old bass boat better than new carpeting. This job will likely go down as the dirtiest and most challenging task of this series. Much of the work lies in preparation. You must remove all the old glue and carpet fragments to ensure the new carpeting adheres properly and stays put. I bought marine-grade carpeting and carpet glue for my boat for just under $300.
I first removed all the deck lids with a drill. Remove the locks, stainless steel screws and hinges from the lids and store them in a plastic bag for reassembly.

I carefully removed the old carpeting from the lids and the interior of the boat so they could be used as templates.

I laid each piece of old carpet on the new carpet and traced it with a marking pen. I then cut out the new pieces with scissors.

I used a grinder with 60-grit sandpaper and a scraper to thoroughly remove the old glue. You must clean the inside edge of the lids, too.

I toiled for a good while to ensure I created a clean surface that the carpet glue could adhere to on the deck and floor. I wore a face mask to avoid inhaling the grime.

I spread carpet glue over the back of each lid with a grooved trowel and a smaller regular trowel. Keep a wet rag handy so you can clean up spills immediately before the glue sets.

After applying the glue, flip the lid over and place it on the new carpeting that has been cut for it. Apply glue to one edge of the carpeting with a small trowel.

Curl the carpet tightly over the edge of the lid. I used scrap wood and C-claps to hold the carpet in place to dry. Do the same with all four sides and with all the lids.

Before installing carpet on the deck, I took the opportunity to cut a hole for a sturdy, stainless steel recessed foot pedal inset.

A paint roller and brush helped me apply glue to the large deck and interior areas quickly. Masking tape prevented the glue from going astray.

I laid new carpet on the deck and floor and smoothed it out before the glue dried. After the glue dried, I used a razor knife to cut the openings for the foot control inset and seat receptacles.

I pose in my bass boat after installing new marine-grade carpeting and recessed trolling motor pedal inset. I’m whipped but proud and happy.