[Ajax_MD]

I didn't want to hijack the "vinyl headliner" thread.

We all know that older production boats had interiors built to varying levels of quality. It's past time to start paying attention to the cosmetics. I have various bits of wood trim that I plan to re-finish in place.

In certain places along the interior of the hull, there is a cheap, vinyl liner with a woven pattern. It's literally just a thin sheet of vinyl, glued to the hull to prevent you from seeing the raw glass. The weave pattern is awesome at holding mildew spores and requires constant scrubbing with bleach. It looks cheap and dated.

Some of this has degraded to the point where I'm sure I can just grab it and slowly tear it off. Some of it is still firmly affixed to the hull. What can I use to peel this crap off of the hull, and more importantly, what should I replace it with?

I don't want to make the interior into a dark, wooden cave. Some wood (or faux wood) is ok though. I do have a translucent hatch over the V-berth that lets light in, so maybe a wood laminate along the walls would be ok.

Thoughts?

 

[SVAuspicious]

In certain places along the interior of the hull, there is a cheap, vinyl liner with a woven pattern. It's literally just a thin sheet of vinyl, glued to the hull to prevent you from seeing the raw glass. The weave pattern is awesome at holding mildew spores and requires constant scrubbing with bleach. It looks cheap and dated.

For removal a heat gun and a set of putty knives should get most if not all the old vinyl off. 3M makes a great adhesive remover that will get must of the glue off after that. You'll probably want to run a random-orbital sander over the glass before starting the new installation.

My thoughts for a replacement are a veneer of some kind which could be either wood or something like Formica. Here is one place to look Wood Veneer, Veneering, Veneer Plywood, Sheets & Tools at Woodcraft .

On general principles I would go for a light color (maple or birch). It should be something that doesn't clash with the wood you already have. Although I like to think my sense of the aesthetic is pretty good, when I was choosing finishes and upholstery for my boat I tortured nearly everyone I came across with samples. The input was helpful and made me think about things differently. Ultimately I made the choices myself but they weren't what I originally made. Eight years later I'm still happy.

 

[JimsCAL]

My Cal 33 has varnished ash in the main cabin instead of the fabric liner found in the vee and quarter berth areas. I like the look. The light wood blends well with the darker teak used for trim, cabinets and bulkheads.

 

[Ajax_MD]

Ah! The heat gun is a great idea. I hadn't even thought of that.
I'm sure I can get it all off with a heatgun and scraper.

 

[Faster]

Nothing looks as 'nautical' as a nicely planked ceiling (ie, inside surfaces of hull above settees) If light/dark is an issue using a light coloured wood like maybe ash or oak can contrast nicely with existing teak or mahogany trim. Even cedar battens could be used, it's nice and light to boot. It's also easier to deal with the typical compound curves, esp amidships, than with any sort of panel or veneer. OTOH many V berth ceiling areas are flat/straight enough for paneling of some sort...

 

[Ajax_MD]

Fast-

I don't have a vinyl headliner. The vinyl is only in a few places along the sides.
I have a hard, fiberglass headliner, and a hard, fiberglass cabin liner typical of production boats.

I don't plan on cutting out the headliner. It's huge, thick in places and I think it does lend some structural integrity. You did give me a good idea about putting wood battens across it though. The white and wood would look pretty good, I think.

 

[gravy26]

I just replaced the sideliner in our 1973 P30 #475. The old liner pulled right off.
We replaced it with another liner with a foam backing from Defender. It came out really nice.
We used a spray adhesive. I'll be back on the boat Sunday and will take a few pictures.
I believe this was the material:

defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|5948|2333932|2333935&id=206609

We used the old liner as a template.
Mike M.

 

[CLOSECALL]

We did like gravy on our wanderer. Like he said, it came out easy and the new went in easy with 3m spray adhesive. Been in the v birth two years now. Looks good. Just try to get as much of the old adhesive off as you can.

We used a perforated headliner material from sailrite.

 

[SVAuspicious]

When you have everything clear you might consider a layer of solid insulation on the hull before you put the covering on.

 

[Ajax_MD]

I thought about insulation but wondered if it was worth the effort because I can't access much below the waterline due to the cabin liner.

Is there any point in insulating portions if you can't get to everything?
If so, what kind of insulation should I use? I don't want to install anything that is too bulky.

 

[SVAuspicious]

I thought about insulation but wondered if it was worth the effort because I can't access much below the waterline due to the cabin liner.

Is there any point in insulating portions if you can't get to everything?
If so, what kind of insulation should I use? I don't want to install anything that is too bulky.

It is worth it. Remember that the water (other than surface ice) won't get below 32F. The air on the other hand gets 1. really cold and 2. moves, increasing heat transfer.

I'm thinking the thin pink or blue stuff used under house siding. You just need to be very careful not to allow voids between the insulation and the hull or the insulation and the cover.

I like the strip idea someone suggested above. That looks great. You just want to match colors and textures.

 

[Faster]

I think you're more likely to get condensation in areas where the hull is exposed to the air, esp during the cooler seasons. We insulated under batten strips from the bunk boards up, just used closed cell foam 'hiker's sleeping pads'glued between the vertical strips we added to attach the battens to.

On a former boat we used 1/2" Ensolite, it came in wide rolls but was much more expensive.. did the job, though.

 

[gravy26]

We are talking about a foot wide behind the setee in the cabin above the waterline and maybe 3 feet wide in the vberth above the waterline.
Not sure it would be beneficial.
Mike M.

 

[HarkSkipper]

Any insulation is beneficial, especially above the waterline where temperature variances are greater. You can use spray on insulation from a number of manufacturers who make moisture resistant insulation for marine use. These guys were very helpful: Contact Us | Ecofoam Insulation ? Newfoundland Spray Foam.

 

[ccriders]

Bubble,
Three years after your boat Pearson dropped the basket weave and used what appears to be Naugahyde, again glued to the inside of the hull. The nice thing about Naugahyde is how easy it is to clean, much easier than any wood product unless it is very well coated on all sides.
Now I know the Great White Nauga is extinct since the late seventies, but surely there is a synthetic that will do the same job.
Surely, I would investigate insulation before choosing the cover material.
John

 

[Ajax_MD]

Thanks, CC. I'll do some research.

 

[blt2ski]

If you have not seen it, HERE is my version of redoing my boat. I personally feel having some foam on the hull etc will help some, maybe R1 or 2, but still better than nothing to keep heat in, cool out, maybe even heat out on hotter days.........

Not sure there is a true right or wrong, only what works for you!

Marty

 

[Ajax_MD]

Impressive! I'll review this in detail.