Not to long ago, we finally got around to a project I’ve been looking forward to since we got Blue Turtle. When we bought Blue Turtle 6 years ago, the interior main salon and aft cabin had this commercial grade carpeting in it. I completely understand why the previous owners would choose commercial grade if they were going to carpet the interior especially in Florida where sand can wreak havoc on just about everything. Unfortunately, this carpet was very difficult to clean and vacuum and sand and shells slowly got embedded in it.
About a year into owning Blue Turtle, we remodeled the main salon area removing the built in seating and table and pulling out the carpet. We installed waterproof vinyl plank flooring in a wood finish that matched the interior of our boat. This has been one of the best ideas we’ve had for the interior since it’s easier to clean and I can replace throw rugs as they wear out which wasn’t an option with our old carpet installed.
With full time work and life in general, we never got around to replacing the carpet in the aft cabin. It’s always been on our to-do list but other obligations (work, raising a kid, etc) got in the way. We finally decided to bite the bullet and have someone else install the vinyl flooring for us. Thankfully, we have a handy neighbor here on the docks that we hired to complete the job. After ordering 3 samples online for $10 (they credit you the $10 back when you place your order) I selected the color that best matched our interior. I ordered the flooring planks online at Lumber Liquidators (same place we got our main salon flooring) and Alex went to town. He did an amazing job and we couldn’t be happier. I’m so thankful to have that dusty and sandy carpet out of there and have a new throw rug in place.
We think vinyl flooring is the best flooring for boat interiors because it’s waterproof and very durable. Carpeting doesn’t hold up to all the sand, water and shells tracked through the boat. We replace our throw rugs at least once a year because of it. Check out our new floors below and let us know what you think in the comments.
Your boat/home is beautiful! We have been thinking about replacing our carpet with vinyl flooring. We have areas where the carpet goes over the stairs and we haven’t figured out how to do the stairs with the vinyl. What was the most challenging area you had to deal with? I enjoy reading your blog. It’s so nicely done!
Thanks Stephanie! When we did the main salon ourselves, the most challenging area were the engine hatches. We had someone else do the aft cabin and the challenge there was the sloping of the floor. Not sure how to do stairs but it can be done. The guy that did our aft cabin is now working on someone else’s boat and they have stairs. You might just go into a flooring store and ask someone how to install on steps. They were pretty helpful at Lumber Liquidaters where we went.
Hummm, seems your advice might apply to Hawaii too.
nice solution… as a builder I have used the waterproof vinyl flooring myself. The rugs are a great idea because you can wash them as needed and replace them when the time comes… good job.
Appreciate it Marty! 🙂
It looks great! Nothing worse than sandy carpet!
Thanks Mercy!
How did you know what MM to buy the vinyl? I have found on Lumber Liquidators that the mm range from 1.3MM to 5MM and I’m just not sure which is necessary? This is also for a trawler flooring remodel.
I’m not really sure either. In our main salon cabin we used a 5mm laminate and for the aft sleeping cabin we used 4mm. Both seemed to work just fine. I’d suggest getting samples of the colors you like and laying them down on the floor to see if the height would cause any issues especially if it has to fit under something.