1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing the OEM lights On The Aft Deck

It is such a pleasure coming up the ladder to the aft deck and NOT seeing ceiling frames or insulation. That Whisper Wall headliner makes a YUGE difference not just in the appearance of the aft deck…it’s good for the soul. The IMTRA LEDs and Infinity Kappa speakers are very nice, too, but I still need to wrap up the OEM light fixture upgrade and install.

I’ve  been trying out different kinds of LED lighting, from the stick-on strip lights you can buy on Amazon that I used for engine room lighting, to 12v ‘corn’ LED lights on ebay to replace incandescent bulbs in OEM fixtures in the salon. What I learned from my ‘temporary’ knockabout boat, a 1968 Chris Craft Commander 42, is that the corn lights cannot tolerate heat. The OEM fixtures on our Commander are open-ended on the bottom, but there’s no way for built up heat to escape from the top. So they cook. Which is fine for glass and metal incandescents, but these LED corn lights are in plastic frames that melt and twist and eventually fail long before their claimed service life is up.

So…if you upgrade to corn bulbs in your OEM fixtures, make sure there’s a chimney hole or two…or more…for the heat to escape.

Ventilated OEM Chris Craft light fixture

I stewed for ages over how I’d protect what I thought was chromed steel if I drill vent holes in the reflector. This is a boat, and rusted steel doesn’t reflect light quite as well as shiny metal does. Imagine how surprised I was to find out that they’re just stamped aluminum.

With the corn bulb in place, you can’t see the holes…not that that matters

Oh, and the missing section of OEM cork gasket…that’s the air intake. I didn’t plan it that way, but from a physics perspective if there’s a chimney vent for heat there has to be an inlet for the cooling effect to work efficiently. Also, for these fixtures, 10w corn bulb LEDs are as bright as you can go. the 12w and 15w units are brighter, but they’re too wide and stop the glass and stainless trim ring from closing.

Upgraded OEM light fixture installed at the helm station

I like it!

The aft switch is for the IMTRA LEDs.

This is making me very happy!

Now for the aft-most OEM light fixture to fill that last hole

This fixture was in slightly rougher shape, so it got the full Collinite 810 treatment

The ‘air intake’ gasket gap on this one is slightly larger

Think of it as better cooling…like an intercooler for an ultra high-tech LED light upgrade…not as a brittle, busted up cork gasket.

Ready for showtime!

NICE!

That wraps up almost all of the aft deck headliner work. The only thing left is installing the One-Mile Ray searchlight controls, but that can happen much later. But I still have some mahogany panel work on the aft deck that has to happen if the plywood stack is ever going away. When the plywood stack is gone, the project should be done.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Helm Station Side Cabinets

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: V-berth Bed Surround Padded Headliner

There are lots of things going on simultaneously, from the aft cabin back wall to resawing big mahogany boards, so I’ll continue jumping around the various projects before we finally launch into getting the aft deck headliner installed. But first, I thought I’d thank everybody who’s hit the tip jar and give a run-down of the refit plan going forward.

To install the aft deck headliner, all of the wiring in the ceiling of the hardtop–12v supply for marine radio, stereo, speakers, overhead lights etc–have to be installed. To install the headliner track, it has to have something to attach to, so we’ll have to install wooden cleats all around the perimeter and spacers across every 2nd ceiling frame, same as we did in the v-berth, salon, and aft stateroom. The headliner tracks also have to butt up against finished surfaces, whether painted fiberglass or varnished wood, which means lots of solid mahogany and plywood panel work is coming up on the aft deck.

Once the aft deck is done, I need to install the raw water standpipes for the main engines, then install the hoses, valves and strainers. I need to finish installing the diesel supply lines, and attach them to the engines. While I’m working in the engine room, I’ll have the painter come in and spray ICA top coat in the V-berth, salon, and aft stateroom.

The swim platform has been ready to install for years. Once that’s done, the boat will be able to float. But I also have to install all of the big chromed bronze cleats, so dock lines have something to attach to. And as long as I’m installing big pieces of chrome, I might as well finish installing the stanchions and safety rails. There are also a bunch of bilge vents that are open to the weather. I need to polish and install the stainless steel scoops that will keep the rain out. I also need to have canvas made for the aft end of the aft deck and helm doors on either side to keep the weather out.

At that point, the project won’t be done, but the boat will be ready to come out of the tent and maybe even float. I have no idea how long it will take to do all this stuff. When it’s done and ready to float, I’ll make the call for the travel lift.

That said, the headliner installer had a nice little surprise for me recently. He installed padded Whisper Wall around the V-berth bed surround, just exactly as I requested!

First, tracks get installed all around

Acute corners need filler panels

Basically, the tracks need to butt up against the finished panel at 90°, otherwise it’s impossible to push the fabric into the track.

Tracks are done. Time for padding

5/8″ thick foam surface is just a wee bit higher than the track

Spray glue does the job

That looks great!

Some day, I’ll finish off the plywood edges with moldings

Nice!

If you’re wondering how that bed will work out, here’s the thing. There’s eight feet between the pointy ends of the bunk. 18″ forward of the aft edge, where the edge of the mattress will be, that’s down to 6’2″. I’m 5′ 10″, so if the missus and I have a spat, which is unusual anyway, this will be a cozy doghouse. Granted, the forwardmost part of the bunk is only 3′ across, but we don’t plan on having guests stay onboard all the time. When they do, having a slightly uncomfortable space can have it’s advantages (they won’t want to stay long!). Most of the guests we’ve had on our boats have been individuals. And unless we have someone visit who’s freakishly tall, this odd-shaped bunk will be just fine.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Helm Station Mahogany

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Wrapping Up the Salon Headliner Install

There are four areas on the boat that have headliner. We wrapped up the aft stateroom headliner first, followed by the V-berth. The salon headliner has been come along nicely, and now…it’s done! Which leaves only the aft deck ceiling, and that’s going to be a huge job…but all good things in due time.

The last few panels are going in today!

Prep work takes forever…the final touch is done in a blink

This is gorgeous

Safety rail hardware is hidden up behind that Whisper Wall panel

That’s just….so nice

Spray foam insulation is great. But looking at it every single weekend…I didn’t realize how oppressive it was. LOL I can get used to this Whisper Wall Ostrich Gelato.

OK…time to stop admiring the headliner perfection, bust out the razor knife and start slicin’ and dicin’.

Second to the last Kai LED light hole

I still get the willies when I cut through the headliner material. It’d be pretty hard to make a mistake at this point, but I still get nervous.

Check it out!

In case you were wondering, this is what I was hoping it would look like

A while back, after I posted one of the articles about prep work for the headliner, a commenter said something to the effect of “I think I see where you’re going with this.” That’s when I realized that just because I’ve got a vision in my head of how it will turn out, and I do my best to explain in this blog what I’ve got in mind for next steps, it’s maybe not equally clear to readers what I’m aiming for. I’d appreciate any comments letting me know how close I’ve come to YOUR impression of how this was going to turn out.

The last Kai light is in

Time for speakers!

I went with Infinity Kappa 62IX speakers throughout the boat

I considered hiding the speakers up behind the headliner, but I find these to be visually very appealing. And though I’d be the first to admit I’m not an audiophile, the sound is terrific. It’s really amazing, the difference between the Pyle shop-grade speakers I’ve been using and these.

The salon headliner is (pretty much) a wrap

The last headliner-related task will be to make the little hatch panel to access the under-side of the dashboard. But that can wait. For now, I’m calling this part of the refit done!

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: V-birth Moldings

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Salon Headliner Install II

The salon headliner installation is moving right along. We got three panels installed on Day One. Day Two went smoothly, with two more panels installed. It looks absolutely great! But I also had to deal with a climate-related epoxy mess.

It’s been hot in the tent

My tent is great at protecting the boat from the weather, but the plastic skin is also really good at holding in heat. When it’s a beautiful day outside, it’s roasting in the tent. And the higher you are, the hotter it is.

When we were installing the aft stateroom headliner, I moved a bunch of supplies from the work space to the salon. I’d never had a problem with epoxy spilling from its container before, but apparently moving it from the relatively cool floor of the aft stateroom to the hotter salon floor was enough to cause a problem. My theory is that as the air in this 1/4 full can of West System 207 hardener heated up, it expanded and pushed the hardener out of the pump. What a mess! I’ve never had this problem with US Composites epoxy.

While I was cleaning up the epoxy mess, the headliner installer was busy at his craft.

First, he pushes the headliner into the track in a few spots

Whisper Wall Ostrich Gelato is pretty stuff

Pulled up and tacked in place on the forward edge

First, push the material into the track with the spatula edge

Then push the spatula handle forward and roll the material into the track

Rinse, lather, repeat

The final stretch on the first panel

I got out of the installer’s way and came back the next day to find two panels installed. Ready for lights!

First, feel around for the soft spot

Hold your breath and stab through the new headliner

Cut the hole in the headliner, then plug in another new Kai LED

Springs snap the Kai LEDs in place in the 1/2″ plywood panel behind the headliner

Nice!

The OEM light fixture hole is much bigger

10w 12v corn LED bulbs work well in the OEM light fixtures

Then I installed more Kai LEDs

And that’s a wrap for the day

There are three more rows of headliner to install and the salon will be looking much better.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Wrapping Up the Salon Headliner Install

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Salon Headliner Install Begins!

Well…this has been a long time coming. The salon headliner installation has officially begun.

I do like it when I arrive at the boat and find contracted work competently done

That Whisper Wall Osterich Gelato looks outstanding

Thinking back on what a hassle it was getting those LED mounting panels installed at just the right height…it was well worth the effort.

The leading edge turned out great!

Next, I took out my razor knife and started slicing and dicing the new headliner.

Cutting holes for the Kai LED lights

Another light hole and one for a speaker

The recessed Kai LEDs use springs to hold them up inside the 1/2″ plywood mounting panel

New Kai LEDs and an OEM light fixture for the galley

These 10w 12vdc LED corn bulbs are the biggest that fit in the OEM fixture (75w incandescent equivalent)

I found these lights on ebay.

AND THEN THERE WAS LIGHT!

That OEM fixture was on the boat since it was new in 1969. My research concluded the boat went on the hard back in the mid-80s and didn’t move until I found it in late 2007. I didn’t power up the 12v breakers until December 2018.  Which suggests that this fixture hasn’t turned on in something like 35 years.

I had a big ol’ grin on my face when it lit up. It’s funny, the stuff that makes me happy.

The OEM galley fixture has a separate switch from the Kai lights

Two more Kai lights have to go in on the port side

One more to go

Done!

That looks sooooo much better with the headliner installed. It’s just a thin piece of fabric, but it makes a HUGE difference.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Salon Headliner Install II

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing Salon Headliner Tracks

The prep work for installing the salon headliner is pretty much done. The few things I have to do before the Whisper Wall goes in don’t conflict with the headliner track, so I called the installer to come back and get on it.

This pic is from February 2019

Six months ago, I used a 6′ straight edge and a Sharpie to mark off where the leading edge of the forwardmost Whisper Wall track would go.

The line I scribed followed the curve of the overhead salon ceiling frames…more or less

I also installed cleats for the tracks to attach to

Fast forward to August, and the tracks were finally being installed

Whisper Wall track joinery

Looking good!

There will be an access hatch for the under-side of the dashboard

Looks good at the front, too

The installer didn’t follow the curve, but it looks fine

We’re just about ready for Whisper Wall panels!

There are safety rails on either side of the cabin sides adjacent to the helm station. One of the chromed bronze rail ends will be held in place with machine screws that can be accessed from the helm area. But the bolts for the center rail support and forward rail end are accessed from the salon, so they’ll have to be installed before the headliner goes in.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing Safety Rails

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Wrapping Up the V-berth Headliner Installation

The good news is, the aft stateroom headliner install is done. The bad news is, it’s summer in the Mid-Atlantic region, which means high temps and miserable humidity. It’s actually not bad if you’re out boating, and I’m very glad to have a 1968 Chris Craft Commander 42 knock-about boat for that sort of thing. But for doing a refit in a plastic tent, East Coast summers are the worst . When it’s 85° outside with a nice breeze, it’s 110° with no breeze inside. Want to do woodwork? Good luck with that! There’s nothing quite like dripping sweat all over raw mahogany or plywood to ensure an awesome finished product!

My solution is to show up at or around the crack of dawn and work until noon. That works OK, unless overnight temps are in the high 70s or higher, in which case it’s roasting inside once the sun comes up. So…progress is going to  drop over the next few weeks as I get through another round of the dog days of summer. With a forecast of ~100°F for the weekend, I’d much rather be on the knock-about Commander than stuck in the tent. That said, the show must go on (albeit heat-adjusted).

When last we were in the V-berth…

Two panels in, two to go.

Whisper Wall Gelato Baby Osterich looks shinier in the pic than it is in person

That’s pretty stuff

That looks much better than the Tiger Foam insulation!

Cutting holes in brand new headliner is always exciting

I have to say, I feel incredible relief when I cut the hole in the headliner and immediately find the wiring. I keep expecting the installer to have pushed the wiring so far out of reach that we have to pull the Whisper Wall to re-orient it. But thus far, on the wiring, this contractor has been performing up to my expectations.

OEM “hourglass” light switch is on

“And then there was [Kai LED] light!”

Next light goes near the head doorway

Before the last panel was installed…

…and after

That’s a wrap on the V-berth headliner install. I still have to get the guy to install the Whisper Wall around the bunk area, after which we’re about ready for the final ICA top coat spray. But because of the brutal temps in the tent, we won’t be spraying varnish until at least the fall of 2019. Which is fine, because there’s lots of other things to do before this boat splashes.

Circling back again to that thing about scorching summer heat and knock-about boats, I wanted to mention that Steve at Flagship Marine has been a big help getting a new-to-me air conditioner up and working in the V-berth of my Commander 42. He’s also the one I worked with on the new AC units I’ll be installing in the Roamer. I don’t make anything off of the referral, but if you’re looking for top quality marine AC, I encourage you to ping Steve.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Galley Crack Repair

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Wrapping Up the Aft Stateroom Headliner Installation

All but one aft stateroom headliner panel has been installed, and then I got all of the LEDs and the OEM light fixture installed. There’s just one more Whisper Wall panel to install in the ceiling, and then I can do some finishing touches to wrap it up.

The last Whisper Wall panel is almost done

The installer spritzes the panel with water, then uses tools that look like thick, rounded putty knives to push the fabric home into the track on one side. Next, he pulls it to the far side and pushes it home in that track before doing the other two sides. Then he comes back with a razor and trims the material that’s hanging free. I like this approach a lot better than the original headliner, with a solid line of staples all the way around that has to be covered with trim.

Trimming the last bit of headliner

Boom. Done.

I got busy wrapping up the hatch

Staples hold the fabric tight, then trim the excess

The installer knew there was a friction fit between the mahogany ring and the new varnished veneer. But for some reason he pulled the fabric up into the hatch tube and put a line of staples into the new veneer to hold it in place. So I had to pull all the staples before trimming the fabric.

That’s the idea

That looks pretty awesome

Reconditioned screen is ready to install

I replaced the screen and spline. When I had it all apart, I cleaned up the aluminum extrusions and applied metal wax to protect it.

You can tell where the screen tracks go by the corrosion

The V-berth hatch leaked but the aft one didn’t. White aluminum oxide powder is heaviest on four of the eight tracks, so those are for the V-berth.

It’s obvious, right?

Test fitting two screen tracks

That looks about right

Houston, we have a problem

The original metal trim ring was ~1/16″ thick. The mahogany ring is ~1/8″ heavy, so the screen frame is too high to smoothly pass it. I need to lower the tracks 1/8″ or so.

The solution: thin mahogany spacer strips with eight coats of varnish

Drill pilot holes in the mahogany strip with a Vix #3 to precisely center them

That works…and looks good, too

Getting closer

That’s better

Perfect!

All tracks installed

I thought I should show what the OEM hatch trim piece looked like. I’m sure the aluminum was nice when it was new, but even if it was shiny I think the mahogany looks a lot better.

And with that, the aft stateroom headliner installation is a wrap.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Wrapping Up the V-berth Headliner Installation

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Stateroom Headliner Installation II

When I wrote about starting on the aft stateroom headliner installation, the expert had done three Whisper Wall panels. With the entryway and head sliding door box varnished, it’s time to finish up the rest of the headliner install.

When last I posted, three panels were installed

The Whisper Wall installer came and got busy.

That’s looking great!

The aft hatch opening

That’s going to look super with the mahogany trim ring installed…soon.

Looking good

Aft looking forward…more panels!

Aft head sliding door box turned out very nicely

I really like that Whisper Wall headliner

Entryway headliner panel and light switch turned out good, too

This is a 3-way switch

I’ll install the counterpart to this switch near the head of the bed, so the lights can be turned on and off from either place.

The entryway sure looks better than what I started with!

That overhead beam looks great with the headliner installed!

Next, I went to work with a razor knife and a sharp pair of scissors, cutting holes for the light fixtures.

Kai inset LED lights are ready to install

First, cut the hole and fish out the wiring

Plug in the light

Pull the springs back and slide the light home

The springs pull the light up tight to the headliner

Sweet!

The last hole was for the OEM light

10w 12vdc LED corn bulb fits perfectly in the OEM fixture

I bought these LED corn bulbs on ebay. I bought a bunch with different watt ratings. It turns out that 10w bulbs are the biggest that can fit in these fixtures. They put out as much light as a 75w incandescent, but at a fraction of the amp consumption.

Nice mix of old and new

The OEM light will give a boost to the closets. They all have portholes, so natural lighting will provide some light. The Kai LED lights I’m using elsewhere are 6 watts each. The additional 4w from the corn bulbs really light the place up.

Don’t need the 10w light? It turns off on a separate switch

Done for today!

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Wrapping Up the Aft Stateroom Headliner Installation

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Aft Stateroom Headliner Install Begins

With two Whisper Wall headliner panels installed in the V-berth, the installer jumped into the aft stateroom to get more panels installed. While he’s doing that, I’m doing other, related things that I’ll be writing about soon. Even though there’s quite a ways to go on this refit, getting the headliner installed sure makes a YUGE visual impact!

I give you…the partially completed aft stateroom!

Well…that doesn’t suck

Turning to the starboard side as we enter, the view just keeps getting better.

Dang…that looks…awesome, if I do say so myself

 

The headliner looks great up against those new fascia panels

Keep in mind that Chris Craft’s approach was to paint all of the mahogany back here white.

I’m just sayin’.

Oh, and BTW, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the dedicated fans who’ve hit the tip jar. 🙂

Sa~~weeeeet!

Port-side closets look great, too

Close-up of the transverse track intersecting the perimeter track

One very cool thing about Whisper Wall is, you spritz it with water before installing, then it tightens up in the tracks as it dries. Need to get up behind it sometime later? No Problem! Just carefully work the fabric out of the track and pull it free. When you’re done, spritz it with water and drive it back in the track. When the water dries, the headliner will be tensioned like it is now. That’s a lot better than standard headliner, where you have lines of staples hidden by moldings. You can pull a standard headliner maybe once, but it’ll never look like it did when it was first installed. The staple holes are too unforgiving. And hard panels held up by velco…always look like hard panels held up by velcro. They’re not bad approaches, and I’ve used both on the other boats I’ve owned. But this Whisper Wall stuff…I’m really glad the Boatamalans* who worked for custom sportfish manufacturer Weaver Boatworks introduced me to it. Believe it or not, going with the same materials and methods used on multi-million dollar toys for rich people yields a better end result. Who knew???

*  Boatamalan: portmanteau indicating highly skilled boat workers of Central American origin. They’re actually from Honduras, but Boatamalan rolls off the tongue better. 🙂

Now…about all that wiring I did…

See how those ugly (yet perfectly positioned) plywood panels that the LED lights fit into don’t print through the headliner?

Yeah…I did that. 😉

Kai LED light ready for final installation!

I’m not using the dimmer feature that’s controlled by the white lead. When I want light, I want light.

But…trouble. I used a hole saw to cut the holes in the plywood panels that were ~1/8″ bigger than the Kai light housing. That left 1/16″ of clearance around the perimeter. But with the thick Whisper Wall material stapled up in the hole, the light wouldn’t go in!

And then there was light!

Since the fabric had already shrunk to its permanent size, I trimmed the material that went up in the hole. We’ll probably staple around the hole just to keep things stable.

No backing panel print-through

Booya!

Three Kai LEDs installed on the port side

And two more installed on the starboard side

I’m diggin’ this

6th Kai light installed at the starboard transom

If only that damned dryer wasn’t in the way…

All in due time…

Not a bad start!

Well, that’s a pretty good start to the aft stateroom headliner installation. I want to give a big shoutout to the Hatteras Owners Forum member who very generously donated a bunch of Kai LEDs that didn’t fit his boat. They look great on this old Chris Craft!

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Stateroom Hatch Finish Panel