The final product. Not perfect but a definite improvement.
My CS 27 has the headliner broken up into 4 sections: 2 side and 2 top pieces. The head and V-berth have a fiberglass liner and do not have a headliner. The side pieces obviously lined the inside sides of the coach roof. They had 2 cut outs for the port lights. The annoying thing was that they were secured with bolts from the outside of the boat into a teak handrail that ran the length of the interior. The nuts were incased by teak plugs in the teak handrail. The two ends were squished into narrow gaps at either bulkhead. The bottom edge had a nice smooth edge with the vinyl folded over. The top edge was rough as it was covered by the top piece.
I unbolted the side pieces by taking off the teak handrail. This was pretty easy. I found that the headliner was made up by 1/8" plywood with vinyl glues over it. The port light cut outs had "U" shaped vinyl trim that covered any rough edge. It was a simple design.
The top pieces were easier. They consisted of two panels: a starboard and port side. They were directly bolted into the coach roof on the outside edges. On the inside a teak strip was screwed down holding them both on. The ends were snuggly fit into a gap at the front and back. There construction was the same as the side panels. There however was wiring to contend with. There were two lights that had to be taken off and the wiring cut and 2 12 volt computer fans that were positioned above the heater to move the air. In addition there were 2 vents trimmed by teak and on teak ring that went around the chimney for the furnace. With my trusty screwdriver in hand I got these disconnected and removed.
I next inspected how I was going to insulate behind the headliner. The coach roof was now bare glass and I could see all the through deck bolts. I looked for signs of leaking and was happy to find none. There were 2 vent holes I would have to be and sure I did not cover up and the wiring would have to be lowered so it was not glued up under the insulation but basically it looked pretty straight forward.
#2 Insulation Installation:
I decided to go with foil bubble wrap type insulation (reflectex). It was easy to work with being flexible and had disgusting R values. This stuff was the best bang for your buck. It was about a 1/4 inch thick and came in roles from 48" wide to 9' long. I opted for spray adhesive thinking this would be the best. I used the panels as templates and cut out slightly smaller sheets of insulation. This I then sprayed with glue and trimmed. I found on the ceiling I had to cut it up into smaller sections as this held on better. The spray adhesive I used was a general purpose Elmer's spray adhesive. This stuff did not work well l and I switched for a more expensive 3M product. All in all I would recommend doing it with good old fashioned brush on adhesive. I eventually got it all in place and used reflective foil tape to seal gaps.
#3 Reupholstering the Panels:
I decided to be lazy and reupholster the panels that I had. They were already cut to size and I found that I was able to pull off the old vinyl quite easily. I removed the old vinyl and got out my spray adhesive. I had searched high and low and finally found some cheap whit vinyl. I went with white because it will keep the interior bright and it was the cheapest. At $15 a yard it was not too bad. Other places were charging $30!
Once I had stripped the old panels I sprayed them with adhesive and rolled the vinyl over them and smoothed it out with a plastic spatula. I then cut off the rough edges and proceeded to fold the over. You have to make little nicks in the upholstery every few inches so that when you fold over the edge it is smooth and flat.
Now I am going to stop here. The spray adhesive was the totally wrong product for the project. The vinyl began delaminating as soon as I tried to move it. I had to remove all the vinyl and go back over the panel with brush on contact cement. This worked perfectly. When folding over the edges I found they wanted to pop off so I used basic packing tape to hold them down so that the glue could cure. Despite the screw up with the spray adhesive this was very simple.
#4 Panel Details:
I had a number of other things to do with these panels. I wanted to protect them from further smoke damage. To that end I used reflective tape to create heat and smoke resistant sections. This was temporary as it does not look very slick. I am still sourcing some thin stainless steel to put over the sections above the stove and the furnace. This will dramatically improve the appearance.
I also had the edges around the port lights to contend with. I had the old vinyl "U" shaped trim. I could not find any equivalent so I opted to reuse the old material until I could find some new material. This when replaced will also freshen up the appearance.
The old curtains were hideous stinking knit affairs that on one side were totally burned from one of my early attempts at mastering the kerosene stove. I threw these out and will replace them with a new set made from something a little more flame retardant.
The teak ringed vents were cleaned and rebolted on easily. The teak was a nice contrast to the white vinyl. The teak ring around the chimney was left off until it was installed since it was right around the chimney I would have had to cut it in two to remove it.
I remounted the lighting to the panels so that it could be wired just before the final installation. In addition to the two LED cabin lights I purchased a new ON/OFF switch and mounted it near the light where the wiring was for the two 12 volt fans.
#5 Side Panel Installation:
Now possibly the most annoying stage of the project occurred. I attempted to reinstall the newly refurbished panels on the boat. Of course the side panels no longer fit because of the insulation. I had not accounted for this. So I remeasured everything and found that I would have to shorten one end and one edge. I would like to say that I used a scientific method to arrive at the new dimensions but I eyeballed it and bucked off the appropriate pieces with my crappy jig saw and they fit in fine.
It now got tricky I needed an extra set of hands to install it as I had to position the teak handrail from the inside and screw from the outside. Dave agreed to help me. We quickly realized that the new insulation had now meant the bolts were not long enough so we had to go buy longer ones. I also found that the nuts had either become off center or were spinning in the holes. I had to drill out all of the plugs and recenter the bolts with two probes in the tight hole. With a head lamp on I was able to see the bolt that Dave was turning and position it. I then wedged a file in between the nut and the side of the hole so that it would not spin and Dave could tighten it up.
Now I would have to get new teak plugs and wood filler to recover all of the holes but the hand rails were back on and the panels looked good.
Step #6 Top Panel Instillation:
I got the top panels in place and tried dry fitting them to see how they fit. In the end I had to make a few minor cuts to account for the displacement caused by the thickness of the insulation. Once I was prepared to install the panels I had to take care of the wiring. The ceiling panels had two LED cabin lights mounted to them and the wiring ran along the ceiling. I did my usual sodering job on the wire and taped them up with electrical tape. on the port side panel I had a switch which would turn on and off the power to the 2 12 volt computer fans suspended over the heater. These fans are surprisingly effective at moving the warm air around the cabin.
With the wiring complete I fitted the panels forward and aft edges into the narrow cabs between the bulkhead and the ceiling. I then tacked up the outside edge with screws as it had been done before. The screws drilled through the inside glass and into the balsa core of the deck. This is not the preferred way but was how the originals were done so I figured it would be good enough.
The centre line between the two panels were covered and supported by a teak strip that screwed into a batten that ran the length of the cabin. Around the companion way the panel was supported by "L" shaped teak trim. I used 5200 adhesive and screws to put it back on.
Conclusion:
With the top panels on I cleaned up the wiring to the fans with some plastic conduit and called it quits. Now all in all this project may not have sounded like much but I started it well before Christmas. It was a slog. Without a garage I wound up storing the panels in my bedroom and did all of the reupholster work in my tiny living room. This of course tried the patience of my wife and dog. Transporting the panels in my VW Golf was another challenge and with no less than 3 failed installation attempts I wound up doing multiple trips between my house and the boat.
Looking back now I doubt I would have started the project. In fact if I were to do it over again I would seriously consider doing a thin wood strip headliner. It looks quite nice and is in some ways a little easier to manage. On the positive side the insulation has worked out beautifully. I have noticed a dramatic difference in the temperature on my boat. It has made winter cruising quite pleasant below decks. Its kind of nice to be in shorts and a t-shirt as snow is piling up on the deck.
Many people with older boats like mine have interior upholstery that is dated, smelly, dirty, and in need of replacement. On the WEASEL this was all true. I had a headliner that had smoke stains from the stove, and furnace. They were also impregnated with a strong kerosene smoke smell. It was time for a change.
In addition to the cosmetic issues I had spent a few nights on the boat in the winter and nearly froze to death. While tied up to the dock I found that it was still quite cold even with the electric heater blasting away. One night I didn't have electricity and I nearly froze to death even with a good sleeping bag. I decided I need to make my boat a bit more comfortable for winter cruising.
I started an epic project of replacing my headliner and insulating the main cabin.
#1 Disassembling & Inspection:
In addition to the cosmetic issues I had spent a few nights on the boat in the winter and nearly froze to death. While tied up to the dock I found that it was still quite cold even with the electric heater blasting away. One night I didn't have electricity and I nearly froze to death even with a good sleeping bag. I decided I need to make my boat a bit more comfortable for winter cruising.
I started an epic project of replacing my headliner and insulating the main cabin.
#1 Disassembling & Inspection:
The teak hand rails were bolted from the outside of the cabin with the nuts behind plugs in the rail. We had to drill the plugs out in the end.
My CS 27 has the headliner broken up into 4 sections: 2 side and 2 top pieces. The head and V-berth have a fiberglass liner and do not have a headliner. The side pieces obviously lined the inside sides of the coach roof. They had 2 cut outs for the port lights. The annoying thing was that they were secured with bolts from the outside of the boat into a teak handrail that ran the length of the interior. The nuts were incased by teak plugs in the teak handrail. The two ends were squished into narrow gaps at either bulkhead. The bottom edge had a nice smooth edge with the vinyl folded over. The top edge was rough as it was covered by the top piece.
I unbolted the side pieces by taking off the teak handrail. This was pretty easy. I found that the headliner was made up by 1/8" plywood with vinyl glues over it. The port light cut outs had "U" shaped vinyl trim that covered any rough edge. It was a simple design.
The "U" shaped vinyl edgeing around the port lights.
The top pieces were easier. They consisted of two panels: a starboard and port side. They were directly bolted into the coach roof on the outside edges. On the inside a teak strip was screwed down holding them both on. The ends were snuggly fit into a gap at the front and back. There construction was the same as the side panels. There however was wiring to contend with. There were two lights that had to be taken off and the wiring cut and 2 12 volt computer fans that were positioned above the heater to move the air. In addition there were 2 vents trimmed by teak and on teak ring that went around the chimney for the furnace. With my trusty screwdriver in hand I got these disconnected and removed.
I next inspected how I was going to insulate behind the headliner. The coach roof was now bare glass and I could see all the through deck bolts. I looked for signs of leaking and was happy to find none. There were 2 vent holes I would have to be and sure I did not cover up and the wiring would have to be lowered so it was not glued up under the insulation but basically it looked pretty straight forward.
#2 Insulation Installation:
I decided to go with foil bubble wrap type insulation (reflectex). It was easy to work with being flexible and had disgusting R values. This stuff was the best bang for your buck. It was about a 1/4 inch thick and came in roles from 48" wide to 9' long. I opted for spray adhesive thinking this would be the best. I used the panels as templates and cut out slightly smaller sheets of insulation. This I then sprayed with glue and trimmed. I found on the ceiling I had to cut it up into smaller sections as this held on better. The spray adhesive I used was a general purpose Elmer's spray adhesive. This stuff did not work well l and I switched for a more expensive 3M product. All in all I would recommend doing it with good old fashioned brush on adhesive. I eventually got it all in place and used reflective foil tape to seal gaps.
#3 Reupholstering the Panels:
I decided to be lazy and reupholster the panels that I had. They were already cut to size and I found that I was able to pull off the old vinyl quite easily. I removed the old vinyl and got out my spray adhesive. I had searched high and low and finally found some cheap whit vinyl. I went with white because it will keep the interior bright and it was the cheapest. At $15 a yard it was not too bad. Other places were charging $30!
Once I had stripped the old panels I sprayed them with adhesive and rolled the vinyl over them and smoothed it out with a plastic spatula. I then cut off the rough edges and proceeded to fold the over. You have to make little nicks in the upholstery every few inches so that when you fold over the edge it is smooth and flat.
Now I am going to stop here. The spray adhesive was the totally wrong product for the project. The vinyl began delaminating as soon as I tried to move it. I had to remove all the vinyl and go back over the panel with brush on contact cement. This worked perfectly. When folding over the edges I found they wanted to pop off so I used basic packing tape to hold them down so that the glue could cure. Despite the screw up with the spray adhesive this was very simple.
#4 Panel Details:
I had a number of other things to do with these panels. I wanted to protect them from further smoke damage. To that end I used reflective tape to create heat and smoke resistant sections. This was temporary as it does not look very slick. I am still sourcing some thin stainless steel to put over the sections above the stove and the furnace. This will dramatically improve the appearance.
The foil tape is a temporary solution to protect the headliner from flames and smoke.
I also had the edges around the port lights to contend with. I had the old vinyl "U" shaped trim. I could not find any equivalent so I opted to reuse the old material until I could find some new material. This when replaced will also freshen up the appearance.
The old curtains were hideous stinking knit affairs that on one side were totally burned from one of my early attempts at mastering the kerosene stove. I threw these out and will replace them with a new set made from something a little more flame retardant.
The teak ringed vents were cleaned and rebolted on easily. The teak was a nice contrast to the white vinyl. The teak ring around the chimney was left off until it was installed since it was right around the chimney I would have had to cut it in two to remove it.
I remounted the lighting to the panels so that it could be wired just before the final installation. In addition to the two LED cabin lights I purchased a new ON/OFF switch and mounted it near the light where the wiring was for the two 12 volt fans.
A close up of the port side LED light and the ON/OFF switch for the 12 volt fans.
#5 Side Panel Installation:
Now possibly the most annoying stage of the project occurred. I attempted to reinstall the newly refurbished panels on the boat. Of course the side panels no longer fit because of the insulation. I had not accounted for this. So I remeasured everything and found that I would have to shorten one end and one edge. I would like to say that I used a scientific method to arrive at the new dimensions but I eyeballed it and bucked off the appropriate pieces with my crappy jig saw and they fit in fine.
It now got tricky I needed an extra set of hands to install it as I had to position the teak handrail from the inside and screw from the outside. Dave agreed to help me. We quickly realized that the new insulation had now meant the bolts were not long enough so we had to go buy longer ones. I also found that the nuts had either become off center or were spinning in the holes. I had to drill out all of the plugs and recenter the bolts with two probes in the tight hole. With a head lamp on I was able to see the bolt that Dave was turning and position it. I then wedged a file in between the nut and the side of the hole so that it would not spin and Dave could tighten it up.
Now I would have to get new teak plugs and wood filler to recover all of the holes but the hand rails were back on and the panels looked good.
Step #6 Top Panel Instillation:
I got the top panels in place and tried dry fitting them to see how they fit. In the end I had to make a few minor cuts to account for the displacement caused by the thickness of the insulation. Once I was prepared to install the panels I had to take care of the wiring. The ceiling panels had two LED cabin lights mounted to them and the wiring ran along the ceiling. I did my usual sodering job on the wire and taped them up with electrical tape. on the port side panel I had a switch which would turn on and off the power to the 2 12 volt computer fans suspended over the heater. These fans are surprisingly effective at moving the warm air around the cabin.
The 12 volt fans above the heater. They are good at moving the warm air throughout the boat.
With the wiring complete I fitted the panels forward and aft edges into the narrow cabs between the bulkhead and the ceiling. I then tacked up the outside edge with screws as it had been done before. The screws drilled through the inside glass and into the balsa core of the deck. This is not the preferred way but was how the originals were done so I figured it would be good enough.
The centre line between the two panels were covered and supported by a teak strip that screwed into a batten that ran the length of the cabin. Around the companion way the panel was supported by "L" shaped teak trim. I used 5200 adhesive and screws to put it back on.
Conclusion:
With the top panels on I cleaned up the wiring to the fans with some plastic conduit and called it quits. Now all in all this project may not have sounded like much but I started it well before Christmas. It was a slog. Without a garage I wound up storing the panels in my bedroom and did all of the reupholster work in my tiny living room. This of course tried the patience of my wife and dog. Transporting the panels in my VW Golf was another challenge and with no less than 3 failed installation attempts I wound up doing multiple trips between my house and the boat.
Looking back now I doubt I would have started the project. In fact if I were to do it over again I would seriously consider doing a thin wood strip headliner. It looks quite nice and is in some ways a little easier to manage. On the positive side the insulation has worked out beautifully. I have noticed a dramatic difference in the temperature on my boat. It has made winter cruising quite pleasant below decks. Its kind of nice to be in shorts and a t-shirt as snow is piling up on the deck.
