1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Painting the Throne Room (AKA the V-berth Head)

The V-berth head is finally painted. This has been a long time coming. It started with me taking measurements of the space and then working out the interior concept in 3D with the free version of Sketchup CAD software. Then I installed the galley bulkhead, which is also one of the main walls for the head. After getting the forward head wall installed, I applied spray foam insulation. And then, in March 2016, I finally dug in and made the walls, ceiling, and built-in cabinets, as well as the dais for the toilet. Along the way, I was insulating the back side of each panel to keep things more comfortable once the refit is done. Once the plumbing and electrical was done, I fiberglassed the ceiling panels  since the entire throne room will be a big shower room. Next, I took all the bits and pieces and assembled the whole thing, including installing the throne dais. The last wall panel got done next, followed by fairing and installing the ceiling panels. Then things got really serious when we fiberglassed the throne room walls and floor.  Fairing came after that, followed by fillets and priming with Awlquik. Then I made the mahogany cabinet moldings, sanded them and had my painter spray them with ICA clear before installing them. I installed some more moldings and finished the cabinet access panel, then my painter sprayed the last coats of Awlgrip 545 primer. And then…finally…after all that…we got another break from old man winter and got the final paint prep work done. All that was left was final wipe down and spray…and we now it’s done.

ISO 6-level clean room

We wiped down the sanded surfaces with Awlprep T0008 then did three passes with tack cloths to remove every hint of dust. Then I fired up the compressor and refrigerated air drier, flipped the air supply so the dried air goes through a Devilbiss QC3 filter before it hits the paint pressure pot. We suited up, donned booties and respirators, and flipped on the fume extractor. Then my Boatamalan* painter worked his magic while I kept the hoses from touching anything.

*Boatamalan: Noun. Joking portmanteau referring to my painter’s Central American origin (boat + Guatamalan). In fact, the Boatamalan is from Honduras, but Boatduras doesn’t roll off the tongue like Boatamalan does. 🙂

No longer an ISO 6 clean room

But dang…the paint sure is pretty.

The paint was still tacky when I took these pictures, so I was doing my best not to move the plastic too much. Using the window opening to duct air out via the fume extractor worked really well. The air was drawn in via the porthole openings on the opposite side, so the overspray evacuated nicely. Visibility was surprisingly good while the painter was spraying.

Good looking throne room!

Nice fillets…and how about that reflection!

Looks even better than the concept drawings!

“The Throne Room Plan”

There were a lot of steps along the way, but getting this paint work done is a huge leap forward. It’s the last of the interior Awlgrip work. Everything else will be naturally finished mahogany sprayed with ICA clear. So now, I can convert the salon from the fiberglass and paint prep area it’s been since the spring of 2016 into a wood shop. I really look forward to cutting the mahogany wall panels for the V-berth. But first, it’s time to wrap up the exhaust system.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Finishing the Exhaust Riser Installation

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Throne Dais Install

The v-berth head is finally coming together. The cabinet and wall panels are installed and the ceiling panels are faired and ready for installation. Next I need to install the “throne” dais and a little filler panel, then cut the exterior wall panels leaving a hole for the door.

Dry fit the throne dais and drill countersunk holes to fasten it to the floor

That little triangular area to the left of the dais is going to need a funky shaped piece of plywood to cover it.

Drill pocket screw holes in the throne dais to secure it to the wall

Then glue and screw the dais in place

I also made the little panel on the left side of the throne dais to fill the gap that was caused by the 1″ solid aluminum round bar chine rising up at the bow and blocking the floor, cabinet, and back panels from meeting at 90° corners. Once it’s filleted, faired, and painted, the odd little angled panel will be practically invisible.

It was at this point that I needed to cut the last wall panel that attaches to the solid mahogany corner piece of the outside wall. Turns out those pieces of mahogany plywood are on the bottom of the plywood stack in the salon.

Gad.

To get to the bottom of the plywood pile, I have to move the pile sheet-by-sheet to the port side of the salon. But the port side of the salon is where my EZ-One track saw table is. So I have to move that to the galley, but the forward fuel tank is still in the galley from when I welded up the fuel fill. Before I reinstall the fuel tank, I need to weld on tabs so I can securely fasten the tank to its cradle. I also need to install permanent galley floor supports and insulate the floors in the galley, since that will be practically impossible once the floor is re-installed. THEN I can install the forward fuel tank, move the track saw table, and dig to the bottom of the plywood pile to get the mahogany ply for the v-berth head. And all of this is so I can install the portholes in preparation for getting the boat in the water.

My plan to splash this year is looking less likely all the time. But I’m not giving up just yet…

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Galley Floor Supports

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Throne Room Wiring, Plumbing, and Final Panel Install

With the “throne room” ceiling panels faired and ready to install, I finally get to permanently mount the hull wall panel and throne side cabinet that have been getting in the way for the past month.

Hull wall panel final test fitted

Back side of the hull wall panel epoxy sealed and insulated

1″ x 1″ mahogany framing cleats and porthole backing panel wetted out with epoxy

Epoxy thickened with wood flour and cabosil is applied over wet epoxy

Hull wall panel glued and screwed

While the wall panel epoxy kicked, I squared away the 120vac and 12vdc wiring that will be inside the head cabinets. I reinstalled the future sink drain PVC pipe and secured the PEX hot and cold water supply lines that will go to the sink.

Next, I installed the throne room side cabinet

The side cabinet is glued and screwed to the wall using pocket screws.

All electrical and plumbing connections are accessible behind the [future] back panel of the side cabinet

Ready to install the throne back panel

Throne back panel needs an access panel

The access panel in the throne back wall panel gives good access to the thru-hull pipes for the sink drain and forward bilge pump.

Throne back and top panels insulated with R3 Buffalo Batts

Throne back panel glued and screwed in place

Easy access to the thru-hull pipes, wiring, and plumbing

Insulated top panel ready to glue and screw in place

Nice, tight fit between the top panel and the hull wall panel

Looking good…pretty much like the concept rendering

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Throne Dias Install

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The V-berth Head

For the boat to splash in 2016, all of the portholes have to be installed. Which means that all of the plywood that goes between the porthole flanges and their mounting points on the hull have to be installed, sealed, and painted/finished. For the aft stateroom that will be fairly easy, since I only need to cut more five more 1/4″ African mahogany panels that can all be clear coated off-site. But the V-berth poses bigger challenges. The hull curves up there make panel layout very challenging–even a straight line up a bulkhead has to be cut on a curve on a flat piece of plywood that will conform to the hull shape once installed. But the V-berth head is the most challenging of all. Unlike the aft head, which has a jet bath that will function as the shower pan, the forward head needs to be an all-in-one toilet, sink, and shower stall because it’s a very small space. We’ll use the same basic approach as we used in the aft head, but the fillets and final paint will go everywhere…even the floor, which will act as a shower pan and drain.

Fwd head plan: packing a lot into a small space

There will be a step-over panel to enter the head, since the space in front of the wood-colored cabinet will be the shower pan with a drain integrated into the floor. All inside corners except the countertop will be filleted. The entire space will be fiberglassed, faired, primed, and painted with Awlgrip Matterhorn white, since I’ve got quite a bit left over.

Laying out 1/4″ marine plywood for the hull-side wall

After fitting the panel, I marked the porthole cutout

I’m not too keen on this modern marine-grade Douglas fir plywood…the old stuff that originally came on these boats didn’t have footballs and other patches in the face veneers. For the price, I’d expect these marine-grade panels to be uniform.

Porthole cutout

Next, I recycled some of the original 1″ x 1″ mahogany cleats, which I’ll attach to the galley bulkhead and forward walls so the edges of the new 1/4″ panel have something to attach to. The cleats have to follow the curve of the hull, so I’m going to cut kerfs along their length so they’ll bend easier.

Flip the lever and set the depth of cut on the Dewalt miter saw

Cutting kerfs

Once the kerfs were cut, I had to put the panel into position and scribe the edge line. But I’m holding off installing the cleats until the end of the day, when everything gets glued and screwed together.

Fitting the step up for the head

The shot above shows why there’s got to be a step-up for the head: there are two big hull bottom frames that rise up quickly and join the hull side frame. The platform for the toilet has to be high enough to clear those.  Once the step up piece was fitted, I drilled pocket screw holes.

Kreg Pocket Hole Jig R3 makes it easy to fasten panels

30 seconds to set up and drill each hole

West epoxy wets out the joints, wood flour glue holds them together

Glued, screwed, and clamped toilet step floor supports

Wall panel fits nicely; just waiting for epoxy to kick

The wall panel isn’t screwed into place so the panel naturally wants to flatten out, which makes it look in the picture like there are big gaps on the edges. But it’s actually a nice, tight fit. Next I’ve got to run 12v lighting wires for the overhead, and then make cleats and cut the overhead panels. I’ve also got to make the toilet step floor, but because the hull frames here are so tall I have to make yet another step-up for the toilet base…which means I have to order the toilets, so the toilet base I mold into the step-up will conform to the shape of the toilet itself. If that makes no sense, don’t worry…it should all come together in the next couple of articles. 🙂

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The V-berth Head Ceiling