[backcreeksailor]

This one is for anyone that's ever done this or seen this done on a pre-90's era C&C Yacht.

The older C&C's from when C&C still owned the company had/have molded head liners. They are aesthetically pleasing as long as they're not deteriorating or sagging. But they have the same negative aspects as all head liners in that they reduce cabin height and they make installing new deck hardware a messy undertaking.

My particular 70 C&C headliner is in good shape. It's not sagging or falling apart anywhere. But at 6' tall, my head rubs along the 6' cabin height liner if I stand up straight, which isn't optimal for "my" use. So my questions are:

1. In the C&C design, does this molded headliner provide any "necessary" addional structural strength/stability?
2. How much of an undertaking would be involved in removing it and just painting the cabin ceiling?
3. Generally speaking, would doing this reduce the value of the boat?

 

[Valiente]

1. Not to my knowledge.
2. That depends on whether the headliner is drilled into the core itself with plain screws. You would have to epoxy and sand down every hole.
3. My Viking 33 has a small headliner from the companionway hatch to about the front of a line drawn between the nav station and the galley sink. It's a C&C design. I put 1/4" backing plates on all deck gear and I have to say no one's ever said the lack of headliner (and the fact it yields 6' 1" of headroom by its absence) made the interior (painted in gloss white) "ugly".

Quite a few, however, have seen the visible backing plates and screws (capped with acorn nuts or grinded smooth by me) and commented "I wish I could get at the underside of my deck like that!"

 

[tommays]

I sail on a 1970 35 mark I

1. In the C&C design, does this molded headliner provide any "necessary" addional structural strength/stability?


Its just there to look nice BUT it also covers a LOT of nuts and bolts that would gouge holes in your head and it hides a lot of wires



2. How much of an undertaking would be involved in removing it and just painting the cabin ceiling?


Cant really say


3. Generally speaking, would doing this reduce the value of the boat?

IHMP yes

 

[backcreeksailor]

...it yields 6' 1" of headroom by its absence...

Just out of curiosity... What was your headroom clearance before you removed the liner?

 

[backcreeksailor]

I sail on a 1970 35 mark I

Its just there to look nice BUT it also covers a LOT of nuts and bolts that would gouge holes in your head and it hides a lot of wires

All the wires I see going through my 1979 seem to be routed behind the side bulkhead panels. There doesn't appear to be anything entering or exiting beneath the liner.

The exposed bolts would be a concern, but there really wouldn't be anything attached to the center-line 2' area where anyone would typically be walking. The cabin top winches and clutches are above the galley to the sides of the companion way. And the line organizers are to the sides near the wall that separates the forward head and the cabin area.

I'm mainly looking for more headroom... Accessibility to the cabin top hardware is just a bonus.

 

[Faster]

The under-deck surface will not be pretty - esp since they knew it would be hidden by the headliner. I'd expect there's going to be significant work required to make it visually pleasing (and all of it overhead/upside down with fillers, fairing and sanding)

Not a job I'd relish myself.. and you will devalue the boat compared to sisterships left original, IMO....

Also, I'd do some investigating to see just how much headroom you'd actually "gain"... all this work might only get you a 1/2 inch or so - would that be worth it?

 

[backcreeksailor]

Also, I'd do some investigating to see just how much headroom you'd actually "gain"... all this work might only get you a 1/2 inch or so - would that be worth it?

That's why I'm asking first... "Measure twice cut once"

If the gain was only 1/2", then it would be a definite "no" it wouldn't be worth it. But if I could grab an 1-1/2 or more then it becomes compelling.

 

[cnc33voodoo]

The removeal of the headliner would only give you about a half inch.
If its anything like my 33 its bonded in certain areas and would have to be cut into pieces to clear the bulkheads for removal.
Take your shoes off, its less work.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

I thought the same thing as you until I removed the headliner and saw how much exposed hardware there was. I bashed my head so many times during the 2 days that the headliner was out, there was no way I could go on without it.

This one is for anyone that's ever done this or seen this done on a pre-90's era C&C Yacht.

The older C&C's from when C&C still owned the company had/have molded head liners. They are aesthetically pleasing as long as they're not deteriorating or sagging. But they have the same negative aspects as all head liners in that they reduce cabin height and they make installing new deck hardware a messy undertaking.

My particular 70 C&C headliner is in good shape. It's not sagging or falling apart anywhere. But at 6' tall, my head rubs along the 6' cabin height liner if I stand up straight, which isn't optimal for "my" use. So my questions are:

1. In the C&C design, does this molded headliner provide any "necessary" addional structural strength/stability?
2. How much of an undertaking would be involved in removing it and just painting the cabin ceiling?
3. Generally speaking, would doing this reduce the value of the boat?

 

[chef2sail]

Our headliner is also bonded in a few places. It hides many of the mast wires to the panel as well as servong as a flat mount for some of the led lights we have.

I think as others said you are opening yourself up to ugly for 1/2 inch of room. We are thinking of running a few 1/2 mold pices of teak accross it to give it a different look

Dave

 

[Valiente]

Just out of curiosity... What was your headroom clearance before you removed the liner?

As I said, the liner's only partial on the Viking 33 and it's still there, because it's just over the galley and nav station, the "highest" part of the interior. I've removed this liner for backing plate installation, however, and without it I can wear my hat below...

I've been on C&C 33s, however, which are quite similar dimensionally to my boat and do have liners, and I've bumped my head. I'm just over six feet tall or 183 cm.

The wiring on the Viking 33 is pretty minimal, and the runs are inside the cabinetry port and starboard, with the exception of the saloon light, which is fed from a terminal strip in the head, the same strip that feeds the mast lights.

One thing to mention: The cabin is painted with the exception of the area behind that small single "arch" of headliner. Beneath there it is straight glassed over balsa-core, clearly visible in a sort of parquet pattern. It's likely this is what you'll find beneath yours.