Should I put paint, carpet or both in the cabin ofmy 22' project boat?

[Perithead]

I decided to wait until next week to remove the deck hardware from the Southcoast 22, since I am leaving for a camping trip Wednesday. So toy I decided I would start sanding the iside of the cabin.

With my orbital sander I began sanding away at the old paint. What I noticed is that sander wasnt sanding everything. Neither the hull or cabin-top are perfectly smooth surfaces so the sander was just hitting the high spots. I am pretty sure that in order to repaint I need to have every inch sanded, am I correct?

If this is true then I might consider putting some sort of marine carpet or something of the sort that I have seen in the cabins of other small boats, on the hull sides of the cabin. When I have seen it in pictures it really looked pretty good, and it may even look better having a 2-tone interior instead of it all being off-white. Maybe a light blue carpet?

I cant carpet the whole thing so I will still have to roughen up the cabin top some am I correct? Maybe with some steel wool?

Am I on the right track here? Are there better alternatives? Should I not even think about carpet due to mold and mildw that it may atract?

[Faster]

Based on experiences long ago, I would not recommend carpet of any description on a boat, other than a small area/companionway mat.

I tried this on a project a while back, looked great for about a month. But it attracts dirt and moisture big time and soon looks/smells awful. I'd avoid it if you can.

As to sanding your (probably) woven roving surface inside the boat, use a wire wheel gently and you'll get at the low spots, or do the best you can with a sander and then wash/scrub what's left with a good cleanser/degreaser (maybe TSP) to prepare for painting. Rinse with fresh water, dry thoroughly before painting. A solvent wipe immediately before the paint step may also be a good idea.. (don't forget to use respiratory protection!)

[sailingdog]

I second what Faster said. Carpet isn't really a good idea on a boat. It tends to trap moisture, and act as a good growth medium for mold.

[Valiente]

Carpet has no place on a boat anymore than a sponge does in your armpits, or ball bearings have on the aisles of a passenger jet.

If you want it, put a rag carpet on velcro glued to the sole. Tear up and wash as needed.

[sailingdog]

I actually like the idea of ball bearings on the aisles of a passenger jet... nice imagery to it...

[chucklesR]

Answering the paint question, a good degreaser and a good primer coat then a roll and tip paint job (roll paint on, brush out the roller marks) should do it. Paint is the light alternative and on a 22 ft boat, light is good.

[SVDistantStar]

Ive got to do something with the sides inside my Pearson. Right now it has carpet glued to the walls, but that must go soon. Im thinking i may fair the fibreglass inside and then paint it. Or the other option is to make wood panels and put them up.

[Faster]

Making a cedar or teak (or whatever) battened ceiling* is what looks best. In addition it provides some insulating space against a single skin hull reducing dampness from condensation.

There was a thread on this last year with some pictures...

*btw - for any that may become confused - "ceiling" is the proper term for the inside surfaces of the topsides, as opposed to the "overhead" which is what a landlubber would call the cabin ceiling.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by SVDistantStar

Ive got to do something with the sides inside my Pearson. Right now it has carpet glued to the walls, but that must go soon. Im thinking i may fair the fibreglass inside and then paint it. Or the other option is to make wood panels and put them up.

Epoxy furring strips to them, and install some insulation and then put nice wooden panels over it all.. makes the boat look nicer, and a whole lot warmer in winter, cooler in summer.

[SVDistantStar]

Thats what im thinking about doing. It has carpet inside right now and its not nice looking at all.

This is how it looks in the v-berth.