We have Raptor decking on our 2023 R27, and love it. However, after 3 years of short season use in the NE, it is all coming up. We’ve lost 2 panels on the swim platform, all all the panels in the cockpit are lifting.
The culprit is most likely an installation issue: cleaning and prep before the peel & stick. Moreover, the adhesive only contacts the high points of the antiskid, which allows dirt and water to get underneath.
While we would purchase an R27 with weave flooring, it is not optimal for us. I have slid across the weave with boat does on.
We will have to replace our decking after the season. We will supervise the installation.
Question: has anyone, including Fluid Motion, considered filling in the non-skid to create a level surface for the decking to adhere to?
Yes, that may limited the future to foam decking or some other non-skid application.
When we install the new decking we will not do the swim platform or any area outside of the cockpit. The factory non-skid is effective and walkable with bare feet.
While we should have seen 5+years of service before dealing with this, we love the boat and like the look/feel of the decking. Preparation will be the key to the future durability.
That being said, if we were buying a new Ranger Tugs 27OB featuring the snap-in weave product, we would still buy it: it’s a Ranger Tugs after all!