Floor Removal & Sailability

[glennk]

I've got a small leak ( leaks) somewhere under the false floor of my boat and I plan to remove the false (plywood) floor near the end of this season and float/sail her to find the leaks and then patch them.

Ideally I'd like to sail her and not just float her as that will really let me see where the water is coming from.

Does anybody know if the hull is strong enough to sail without the false floor and not flex itself to death?

Anybody gone through this process before?

Thanks for your help and advice.

-Glenn

[GreenLake]

I don't know about your setup - with plywood floors, that is. Mine has the original floor gratings, and those are loosely placed and wouldn't add any strength to the hull. I also read that people sail without those, so I'd assume you can be doubly reassured.

Good luck fixing your leak.

[algonquin]

You can sail without the floor boards as they are removable on most DS1s. What they do add is the ability to distribute weight or load over a large surface so your weight is not concentrated on a small area. If you are small in stature it may not be a problem. In my case I am glad to have the floor boards keeping me from stepping through the hull. Brad