1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing Pretty Aft Deck Mahogany

Well…things have certainly been exciting around here, though circumstances haven’t significantly improved on the economic/job front.

For reasons I can’t get into now because of my ongoing claims against my former employer, I have moved the 1968 Chris Craft Commander 42 that’s been our knockabout/liveaboard boat in the Swamp since 2012 to far less Swampy conditions. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is not to be in the Nation’s Capital anymore. The attitude difference between Swamp-dwellers (including most Swamp-dweller boaters) and normal people/boaters far outside the Beltway is stunning…just a breath of fresh air. Normal people are happy. Swamp-dwellers and their ilk are (in my experience) sad/angry people who hate everybody who doesn’t think like them. Give me happy, welcoming, friendly people any day over the angry, violent haters who falsely claim themselves to be all about love and inclusion.

So I’ve been doing lots of boating recently in a wonderful area packed with all sorts of patriotic American boaters. I actually HAD to do lots of boating recently because there was lots of ethanol in the tanks that was getting yellower and funnier-smelling by the week in the Commander 42. I’ve burned through most of the old gas and have 100 gallons of non-ethanol I’ll be topping up with after the excursion we have planned for tomorrow to burn up the last of the evil ethanol.

I also have a new Honey-Do list of things to do on the Commander to facilitate its sale next year. And the reason we’ll be selling it is that…barring another butt-whupping by the goddess of the seas…next year our Roamer will splash.

The only major tasks I have to finish before splashing are 1) weld in new raw water standpipes for the mains; 2) hook up the raw water and fuel systems; and 3) install the swim platform. There are actually lots of other things that have to happen before the boat can be splashed (water-proofing the exterior being primary), but many of those things have already happened. As I’ve said many times, I don’t post this blog in real time. I just haven’t had time to keep up on the blog with the other…distractions I’ve had going on in my life for the last two years. So, between now and splash time I’ll be posting about the other things I’ve already accomplished and the three major tasks listed above.

If you know anybody interested in buying a very comfortable but by no means concourse 1968 Chris Craft Commander 42 with 427 Fords (yes…the engines that won LeMans 1-2-3 against Ferrari in 1967), please let them know of one that will be available next year. There’s a terrific 1967 Ford video about the 427 development program, if you haven’t seen it yet. What great fortune it was that Ford needed to sell lots of very robust 427s just at the time when Chris Craft needed lots of marine engines that could crank out 300hp all day long!

Anyway, back to the Roamer refit. The aft deck mahogany is varnished and ready for final install. Booyah.

Solid mahogany filler pieces and marine plywood battens for the transom plywood are all ready to install

Edges wetted out with epoxy to seal out water forever…almost ready to install

After applying wood flour-thickened epoxy as the primary bonding agent, I clamped all the pieces in place

Next, I wetted out the back-side of each mahogany plywood panel with epoxy

Then I applied Mountain Mist Buffalo Batt polyester nonwoven fabric insulation, as I’ve done on all other mahogany ply

If you’re wondering, “why’s he insulating the backside of panels that will be installed on the aft deck?” GOOD! Because I debated with myself whether or not that was necessary. What I decided, eventually, was that 1) I’ve got plenty of Buffalo Batt insulation; 2) it doesn’t hurt; and 3) should I ever install a self-contained AC unit up on the aft deck, it’ll have an easier time controlling the climate if the space is insulated the same as all other spaces on the boat.

Next day, all the pieces at the transom step-through are fixed in place

Next, I applied epoxy and clamped the plywood battens in place along the top of the transom

Last of the prep steps

Aft deck prepped for zigzag floor box install

Sweet!

Electrical box install was smooth as silk

Ready to make ugly stuff pretty?

Transom panel glued, screwed, and clamped in place

That’s looking very nice

Next day, the transom step-through is almost done! It just needs covering moldings.

Ready for the starboard transom panel

Same ol’ same ol’ insulation program

Bonding zone wetted out with US Composites 635 epoxy

Also, note that all edges get fully saturated prior to install. I don’t ever want to have water get in this mahogany paneling.

Glued, screwed (along the bottom edge), and clamped in place

That’s looking pretty sweet

Next day, last panel!

Last panel clamped in place!

Yes, every stick you see clamped in place was absolutely necessary!

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Transom Threshold Moldings