1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Deck Mahogany Plywood Install II

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When last I wrote about progress on the aft deck, it involved the Port Helm Side Cabinet. I also mentioned that the marina had sold and I had to disassemble the tent and have the boat ready to splash by April 2020. With the life-changing events that have been dumped on me recently, that one certainly wasn’t helpful. The new marina leaseholders succeeded in scaring many long-time DIY customers and liveaboards away. The marina this winter was even deader than usual, despite it being rather mild temperature-wise, and the yard was only 2/3 full. I’d heard rumors that the leaseholders were having trouble paying rent, and just before the coronavirus hysteria set in last week and shut everything down, the rumors were confirmed: the marina has reverted back to the new owner, the leaseholders are gone, and the new owner has brought in a manager who will return the yard to its former DIY-friendly status. This is a huge relief, all things considered.

With the port helm cabinet installed, and the starboard side, too, next I got to work on the starboard aft deck mahogany paneling.

1/4″ ribbon-stripe mahogany is rough cut to size

2″ 3M 233+ tape has been here since we painted the boat in 2013

The teak aft deck has been protected with junk luan 1/4″ plywood for years, with the edges taped to the Awl Grip 545 primer we painted here back in 2013. That tape is a real bear to remove after being in place for so long.

Gotta love that EurekaZone track saw for this kind of work. Unlike a table saw, the panel stays in place while the saw moves. And the track ensures perfectly straight cuts.

The top aft corner cuts were complicated

That’s pretty close

Not bad for the first fitting!

Needs a bit more trimming

Better!

Perfect!

Next, I sanded the panel with 220 grit Mirka Abranet and applied four coats of Spar Varnish.

Trial fitting and finishing is done

Next, I wetted out the entire back side and all edges of the panel with epoxy. If the panel ever gets wet with water, it will have a hard time getting past the epoxy barrier coat. Then I sanded the primed aluminum frames, applied wood flour-thickened epoxy to them, and pressed the panel into position.

Epoxied and clamped in place

Next day, the epoxy still wasn’t completely cured

US Composites 635 epoxy is great stuff, but the slow hardener takes a long time to cure in winter. It’s better for warmer seasons. So I left the clamps in place but moved the push sticks so I could get to work on the next panel.

Lots of slopes and curves going on here

There’s nothing square on a boat

I need to bevel the edge where the panels meet

The aluminum saw tracks makes a great guide for planing bevels.

That’s getting close

When the bevel extends all the way through to the dark brown face veneer, you get a very pretty joint

See?

The trailing edge of the panel, where it meets the other panel, is done. Next, I started trimming the leading edge.

Trimming the leading edge

Test fit early and often to avoid disasters

In the picture above, I’m holding up the corner piece that I made out of solid mahogany in the fall of 2019. The plywood panels need to attach to both sides of the corner piece.

PROBLEM! The mahogany doesn’t line up with the aluminum framing

I removed most of the spray foam insulation here after I took this picture, but it still wasn’t enough.

It sticks out proud on the leading edge, too

So I used a router to ‘lower’ the rabbet where the panels will attach

Fortunately, there was lots of material to work with here. When I was done, the panels lined up with the corner piece nicely.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Deck Mahogany