1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: “Throne Room” Ceiling Panels II

With the final wall panel cut, now I can wrap up the ceiling panels in the V-berth head (AKA the Throne Room). The panels are cut and fiberglassed, and I also installed rare earth magnets in the backside of the panel that will work as shower curtain hardware. Next, I need to get the fairing done and insulate the backside of the panels, then install them. But first, I put some vents up high in the tent to let heat escape. When the sun comes out, it gets hot in there without vents.

They’re not pretty, but they’re very effective near the highest part of the tent

I applied a light coating of homemade epoxy fairing compound when I fiberglassed the Throne Room ceiling panels. We can do the final fairing by just sanding down the coating of epoxy fairing material, which is a lot better than sanding fiberglass.

AlexSeal fairing compound is made for wet environments

Sanded nice and smooth

I’ve been wondering if the rare earth magnets will have enough pull from the backside of the panel to keep a shower curtain in place. The missus is in charge of making the curtain, and she’ll add “ears” to it that also have magnets in them. The video below shows how strongly the magnets are attracted to each other, even though wood, fiberglass, and fairing compound. I do believe this magnetic curtain hardware idea will work!

Mark off where the fairing compound around the edges needs to be ground down

These panels will be glued and screwed to the overhead cleats. Then the edges will be fiberglassed and faired, while the perimeter will get fillets for a smooth transition to the walls. So I need to remove some material at all of the joints so they will be smooth in the end. I do like my fillets. 🙂

Just sanded down to the ‘glass

One panel down, on to the next

Next, flip the panel and cut the R3 Buffalo Batt insulation

Redrill screw holes around the perimeter

Seal the backside with epoxy

Apply insulation and wait for the epoxy to cure

Next day, prep the ceiling for the panels

Install the first panel

Glued and screwed

Countersunk screw holes

Wet out the contact areas with epoxy, then apply wood flour-thickened epoxy as glue

Same glue treatment on the overhead cleats

The ceiling panels are in!

Almost ready for fiberglass and paint

I’m waiting for my Boatamalan painter to get the final wall panels painted with ICA base coat clear. Once he gets those back to me, I can install them, cut the shower drain hole, install the cabinet base…and then the whole interior of the Throne Room will get turned into a fiberglass shower enclosure painted with eggshell Awlgrip.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Muffler Platforms