Chrysler Sailors Forum

I'm working on gutting an abandoned C26 that my family recently acquired and wanted to get some advice on the cabin sole. The entire saloon floor is being removed and we don't want to remake it in the original design. Instead, we're planning on putting in some wooden cabin sole beams and plank flooring on top of it because I don't like fiberglass much and also want it to be more easily repairable. My questions are:

1. What is a decent wood to use for this? I considered red oak briefly but apparently it's an absolute sponge.
2. What type of bedding, sealant, and adhesive should be used for attaching the beams to the hull and the planks to the beams?
3. Is the lead shot ballast, plywood stringers, blue epoxy, and plywood keel housing support original to these boats?

Any help, advice, or admonition would be highly appreciated.

That’s exactly what my sole looked like except it was red instead of blue. Please be aware that you’re going to loose headroom if you raise the floor. I wound up re-fiberglassing mine and painting it with non-skid additive. Teak would be a good choice but expensive. Consider synthetic deck planks.