1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Insulating and Installing the Port Salon Panels

I wrapped up the varnish on the ceiling panels that go under the port side deck, then insulated the backside and installed them all.

I’m working in the port aft corner of the salon

The last ceiling panel is varnished, drilled, and ready for insulation

The backside gets wetted out with epoxy

Since I had epoxy mixed up, I glued and screwed all of the mahogany backing cleats in place.

Buffalo Batt insulation gets pressed in place

The forward ceiling panel also got insulated

And the middle panel, too

Next day…they’re ready to install

Next day, the forward panel is glued and screwed in place

The insulated envelope

The hull and deck are covered in spray foam insulation rated at R7. Then there’s the air gap, with the backside of each wooden panel insulated with Buffalo Batt, which provides an additional R3 insulation. The boat should be cozy in summer or winter with all of this insulation. I hope it’s worth the extra effort.

The middle panel was next

One more to go

The last panel goes here

The contact areas got wetted out with epoxy, then topped with wood flour-thickened epoxy

Boom

And that’s a wrap

With the insulation envelope done on the port side of the galley and salon, I can get to work on the salon cabinetry there.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Cutting and fitting the Port Salon Cabinet

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing More Salon Plywood Panels

I had a couple of pros come by over the weekend and look over the damage the Nor-easter did to my boat. I should get estimates from them later this week. But before the storm came, I got more vent and wall panels installed on the port side in the salon.

Engine room gill vents in the hull

The gill vents look cool from the outside and are one of many signature features on Chris Craft’s Roamer metal boat line. But during the winter these vents let in a lot of cold air unless you block them off. Blocking them from the outside can be done, but you risk damaging your paint job. So I decided to make plywood panels that can be installed from the inside.

Big difference

It was near freezing the day I did this, and my kerosene heater was working overtime trying to keep the space heated. The boat immediately got a lot more comfortable once these panels were in place.

ER vent panel back in place

I cut some access hatches in the panel

The hatch openings are a lot smaller than the gill vent panels, but they only need to be big enough to install and remove the panels.

Perfect size

This will work well, I think

Epoxy sealed hatches

Lovely handiwork

These hatches won’t be visible once the settee is in place, so I didn’t spend much time making them pretty. My priority for all of these panels is to make sure they’re fully epoxy sealed and insulated on the back-side where appropriate.

Last insulated wall panel

The 1/4″ Douglas fir marine ply panel above got the usual treatment, fully epoxy sealed on the back-side with Buffalo Batt insulation applied once the wood was fully wetted out. It’s probably just my imagination, but the salon seems to be getting more and more comfortable with each insulated panel that goes in.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing The Last Port Salon Vent Panels

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: More Salon Plywood Panels

After the beating that Nor-easter gave Tent Model XXX and my brand new Awlgrip paint job, I’ve been trying to get estimates on repairs. Since the tent is protected by a security system, I’ll have to be there when the estimators show up. So instead of getting more plywood panels installed, I’ll be doing  the tedious work of putting together an insurance claim. Fortunately, Heritage Marine Insurance (lynn@heritagemarineinsurance.com) and Chubb have treated me very well. I highly recommend both.

But before all the damage happened, I got some more panels in the salon cut and fitted.

Next, I dug into this corner of the salon

After moving the stairs out of the way, I removed the lower mahogany panel.

There’s another bilge vent hole in the mahogany toerail and aluminum deck above this corner

The big 1/4″ Doug fir marine ply panel to the right in the pic above covers the ‘shark gill’ hull vents that are the main air source for the engine room. The panel is fully epoxy sealed on all sides, but the backside of this panel isn’t insulated, since insulation would take up space and impede air flow. I cut the panel the exact same size as the fiberboard that Chris Craft used, which had warped and deteriorated from water exposure through the gill vents. But I’ve decided I need to modify the panel by extending the lower edge six inches so it goes past the engine room ceiling. I also want to add hatches so I can put panels up against the back-side of the hull gill vents during winter to keep out the cold air. More on that later.

I need to build another waterproof vent duct in the corner

Sticks and a glue gun are a big help when making complex patterns

Transfer the pattern to 3/4″ Douglas fir marine ply

Perfect fit on the first try!

I’ll attach a 1″ x 1″ mahogany cleat to this bilge vent duct panel to give the face panel screws something to bite into. I also need to cut a piece of solid stock for the right side face panel to attach to next to the big engine room duct panel.

The engine room vent panel attaches to these mahogany frames

I need to cut a piece of mahogany solid stock and attach it on the near side of this aluminum hull frame. I need to keep it on the same plane as the ER vent frames so the panels line up when they’re all installed. Rather than drilling more holes in the aluminum frame to attach the new piece of mahogany, I’ll cut it so it butts up against the existing ER vent frame, then use epoxy thickened with wood flour and screws to bond them together. As you can see in the pic above, there’s only about 1/8″ of mahogany frame sticking out proud of the aluminum hull frame.

Down at the bottom, the mahogany frame sticks out 9/16″

Good thing I have a track saw

I repurposed a mahogany stick from the OE cabinetry for this panel cleat. I have to cut a 5/16″ rabbet to span the aluminum hull frame, with the depth of the rabbet decreasing from 9/16″ at the bottom to 1/8″ at the top to match the ER vent frame. I don’t have any idea how a pro would do this, but my EZ-One track saw table made it pretty easy.

One tapered cut down, one decreasing depth cut to go

That’s a fancy rabbet: 1/8″ at the top…

9/16″ at the bottom

It’s ready to install, so next I cut the 1/4″ Doug fir plywood panel that will attach to it.

The back-side of the new plywood panel gets wetted out with epoxy

Buffalo Batt insulation goes over the wet epoxy

Lots of plywood panels wetted out with epoxy

I also cut and fitted the bilge vent chute panel, which you can see is fully saturated with epoxy in the pic above. Any water that comes through the vent will hit that shiny epoxy and head straight into the bilge. That should hold up a lot better than the plain fiberboard that Chris Craft used.

Last, I added two extensions to the ER vent panel

There are 1/4″ Doug fir plywood batten panels backing the joints for the extensions on the ER vent panel. It’s all glued and screwed together. With sticky epoxy curing on many panels in the work space, I called it a weekend and left. This was a couple of weeks ago, when winter was still in full effect and the epoxy just wasn’t curing from Saturday to Sunday. But when I arrived the following weekend, it had finally cured. That’s a good thing because it was getting very difficult to move around and get things done with so many sticky panels around.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing More Salon Plywood Panels

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Cutting and Fitting More Salon Plywood Panels

Well, winter is over and the epoxy finally cured on the last of the galley pantry panels. I also got another plywood panel installed on the port side of the salon.

The last pantry panel

Galley pantry lower panel is varnished, insulated, and ready to install

I’d forgotten the bottom panel when I varnished all the rest of the pantry panels. For all of the cabinet interiors, I’ve been using Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane clear gloss. It’s a nice product and cures to a hard finish. I’ve used ICA polyurethane on most other panels, but brush application of Minwax is much less labor intensive than spraying the ICA.

Once I finished with the varnish, I epoxy sealed all edges and applied Buffalo Batt insulation on the underside. It’s been so cold that it took ten days for the epoxy to finally cure. Unlike the other pantry panels, these last three are going to be removable to provide access to the pump-out, fresh water, and water tank vent plumbing. So it’s essential that the epoxy on the contact surfaces is fully cured before I put it all together.

Bottom panel fits nicely and looks good

The back panel is a nice, tight fit

The right side slides in first, then rotate the left side in until it seats on the backing cleats.

Last view (hopefully) of the pump-out plumbing

Nice!

Good lookin’ box

I still have to make the face frame for the pantry, but that can come later. Next, I got busy on the next salon plywood panel.

I need one more panel here

The first toe rail vent duct is to the left in the pic above. One more panel to go in this section.

A scrap from the plywood stack is just the right width

I sifted through the plywood pile looking for 1/4″ Doug fir marine ply that I could use here. It was funny how happy I felt when I found a scrap that just happened to be the exact width I needed.

The EZ-One track saw is the only way to break down large panels inside a boat

That was easy

Once fitted, I removed the panel and cut Buffalo Batt insulation to fit

Fully wetted out with US Composites 635 resin and 2:1 hardener

Press the insulation in place and go home

Next day…this is getting absurd

It’s been so chilly that the epoxy just isn’t kicking. So I’ve got all kinds of sticky plywood and solid mahogany stock all over the place. I’m running out of space to put stuff!

There’s a narrow path with sticky epoxy on all sides!

Finally, the panels are installed

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Big 2018 Nor’easter Whooped Tent Model XXX

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Cutting and Fitting More V-berth Panels

Back into the V-berth, I’m still cutting and dry fitting panels, making hatches, and insulating in preparation for final assembly.

Nice fit on the molding

Making a hatch in the “desk-like structure” base panel

Glued, screwed, epoxy sealed, and insulated

Ready for final install…but not yet

Air conditioner space needs to be fully sealed

A 9kBTU marine air conditioner will sit on this shelf. It will draw air through a filter in a panel that will face where I was standing when I took this picture. The space the AC unit is in needs to be completely sealed from the hull envelope, so it only draws air from the interior space. So I need to cut and fit this 1/4″ Douglas fir marine plywood to closely fit the surrounding panels. The hull takes a curve here, and the panel follows that curve, which makes it really difficult to get the fit just right. The technique I use is to cut the panel close but oversized, then trim back little by little until it just fits.

That’s getting closer

…and closer

Done!

There’s just enough room for the 4″ insulated HVAC duct to squeeze into the space.

With this panel dry-fitted, next I marked off the position of the panel base and removed it.

Mahogany cleats at the base will provide a good seal

Next, insulate the panel and it’s ready to install

With sticky epoxy everywhere, I called it a day.

The process of dry-fitting each panel, then disassembling, insulating, then gluing and screwing it all together takes a lot more time than if I didn’t insulate and just went straight to final assembly. But we think the insulation will be worth it once the refit is done and the boat is in service. Condensation is always a problem on fiberglass and metal boats, but the insulation on the back-side of each panel should help avoid it. I just wish this was going quicker.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: “Mr. Good-but-slow” Strikes Again!

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Final Prep on the V-berth Bed Foundation Panels

With the last of the bed foundation panels cut and dry fitted, I have just a bit of prep work to do before taking the whole thing apart and then doing the final installation.

White colorant makes epoxy a nice interior sealant/topcoat

I’m using US Composites thick epoxy resin and 2:1 hardener to seal the backs and sides of each panel. The 2:1 hardener has a very long pot time, which gives the mixed epoxy more time to saturate into each panel. I add white colorant (also from US Composites) for the top coat on the visible faces of panels. I found that with West System epoxy, there’s always a bit of blush (a somewhat sticky substance that forms on the surface of the epoxy) left behind. But the US Composites 1:1 and 2:1 hardeners leave no detectable blush. Plus, it’s a lot cheaper than West.

One heavy coat yields a shiny sealed surface

Next day, the side panels are ready to install

Minwax Helmsman Spare Urethane clear gloss is my new favorite brushing varnish

This Minwax product brushes out really nicely, and keeps a wet edge longer than their spar varnish product. It also cures a lot faster and seems more scratch resistant than the varnish.

This is the top panel for the shelf box I built recently

Epoxy bonds the panel to the cleats

Buffalo Batt non-woven fabric provides R3 insulation on the back-sides

Press the Buffalo Batt into the epoxy that seals the backside, then go home

Once the epoxy cures, the bed foundation panels are all ready for final installation. It’s taking longer than I expected (as usual), but I’m making good progress.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing the V-berth Bed Foundation Panels

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Sealing and Insulating V-berth Panels

I’m still plodding along in the V-berth. Sealing all sides and insulating the back-side of all panels that face the hull adds a lot of time to the process, but we think it will be worth it in the end.

Mastermind fine kerf plunge saw is great for cutting hatches in panels

The laser on the saw isn’t very useful since it doesn’t perfectly align with the blade. But the metal guide that comes with it works well. With a 1/16″ kerf, it makes nice, tight hatches.

Jigsaw finishes the cuts in the corners

48-year old coating needs to come off

These panels were originally the V-berth bed foundations. Some water had come in through the hatch and ruined the sealer coat, but the wood underneath is in great shape.

Old school marine plywood

It took a lot of epoxy to fully wet out the back-side

The old plywood just kept drinking up the epoxy. It took four coats before it was finally saturated. Then I applied the hatch frames and Buffalo Batt insulation.

Press the insulation into the epoxy and go home

Next day, looks good!

Ready to paint the front side

Nice insulation!

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Helm Windshield Opener Cover

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Wrapping Up the V-berth Bed Foundation Frames

Through yet another brutally hot summer in Tent Model XXX, I’m making fairly good progress on the V-berth bed foundation.

Midway framing will support the side cabinet top

I’ll make one more frame to support the back edge of the cabinet top panel.

Center beam needs some trimming

The length is just a bit too long, and it can’t pivot into place with square corners.

Angled cuts on the end will allow the center beam to pivot into place

Perfect!

That’s the last of the bed foundation frame pieces. Everything fits very nicely. Next I disassembled all of the frames, drilled pocket screw holes, and got ready to glue and screw it together permanently.

Pocket screws will hold each of the frames in place while the epoxy cures

That little Kreg pocket hole jig has paid for itself many times over.

Next, I insulated the top of the center cabinet

The sides, bottom, top, and back of each cabinet box are insulated with Buffalo Batt nonwoven fabric, which provides 3R insulation value and should eliminate condensation and otherwise keep heated or cooled air inside the boat. Insulating the back of every panel that faces the hull envelope adds a lot of time to the process, but I think it will be worth it in the end.

Done!

With sticky epoxy everywhere and 115°F temps in the salon (but only 85° outside), I decided to bail out at this point. I’m ready to cut the marine plywood panels that the mattress will rest on, which will also be the base for the side cabinetry that will tie the bed foundation to those beautiful and very difficult to install mahogany V-berth side walls.

The concept is coming together! Note: Sorry about the dead pix at the linked concept article. Unfortunately, I saved the pictures in some early articles on this blog on Photobucket, which has apparently updated it’s user policies to the point that pictures are no longer viewable unless visitors agree to open their computers up to a bunch of 3rd party pop-up ads. So the pix on the linked page are currently not loading. I’m working on downloading all of the pix and saving them at WordPress (which I think I’d like to cut ties to, as well, since they do the pop-up ads, too). Anyway, the pix should be available shortly.

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

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing the Port V-berth Mahogany Wall Panel

With the V-berth mahogany panels clear coated and insulated, the next step is installation.

Base coated, insulated, and edge sealed

Edges fully wetted out with epoxy

Mahogany cleats get wetted out with epoxy, too

Epoxy thickened with wood flour goes on next

Once the thickened epoxy gets applied to all contact surfaces, everything is a sticky mess and no pictures can be taken. Once the panel is positioned, clamped, and secured with fasteners, I wipe up the sticky mess with alcohol on rags…lots and lots of rags. The secret is not to smear the stuff around. Get some epoxy on the rag, fold it over, get more on, fold again, and when there’s no more clean parts of the rag, throw it out and get a new one. I keep wiping and wiping until all of the sticky residue is gone, which I confirm by holding a flashlight at an angle to the panel. I check and re-check with the flashlight about a half-dozen times, because sometimes more epoxy oozes out and other sticky bits just get missed. Finally, once it’s all wiped up, off come the gloves and it’s time to call it a day.

Glued, screwed, and clamped

In the forward-most upper corner, I had to use two sticks as a lever to push the panel into place. There’s no way to get a clamp or screws in there, but with plenty of epoxy on the backside it’ll be nice and solid by tomorrow.

Give me a long enough lever, and I can make a stubborn plywood panel conform to a complex curve!

Very nice fit on the back edge–no clamps or screws required

The panel is clamped, glued, and screwed at the porthole opening

The panel orientation at the porthole opening is critical, since misalignment can throw off the fit of the porthole itself. The original porthole installer at Chris Craft did a poor job aligning it. The porthole was inset quite a ways from the frames, so I had to do a lot of grinding when I was preparing to fit the panels to bring the frame in close enough for the plywood panel to conform. With lots of screws and the clamp, it looks like this will work out well.

Keen-eyed observers will note what appears to be (and, in fact, is) an upside-down run in the pic above. These panels only got the first of four coats of ICA base clear applied, and the painter lays it on heavy. We do that because epoxy can be wiped off of finished wood, but it soaks into unfinished wood and discolors it. We’ll sand the whole V-berth, eliminating all the runs and surface imperfections, then hit it with another four coats of base, then sand again before applying two coats of semi-matte topcoat.

Next day, the clamps come off

I know, I know…the veneers don’t line up between the two panels. You know what? I don’t care! 🙂

Not a bad joint

I think I’ll use 1/4 round mahogany trim to cover the joint and bungs

Behind the panel it’s very nicely insulated

That’s a wrap for the port side V-berth panel.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: My Life WAS An Old-School Country Western Song

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Insulating Mahogany Wall Panels

With the stack of mahogany wall panels finally painted with eight coats of ICA base clear then topped with two coats of semi-matte, the next step involves insulating the back-side of each panel. The hull, decks, and cabin top are already insulated with spray foam, but I’m also using Buffalo Batts to insulate the back of each wall panel that faces the hull to make the boat more comfortable all year-round. Insulating each panel adds a lot of time to the process, but I think it’ll be worth it.

1.5″ thick Buffalo Batt provides R3 insulation value

Cut out areas where the panel contacts frames and mahogany cleats

Wet out the panel with epoxy

The epoxy serves two purposes: it seals the panel, giving it stability over time, and it acts like contact cement to hold the insulation in place and tight to the panel. I kept the epoxy away from the areas where the panel will contact the mahogany cleats that are attached to the aluminum ribs. I’ll wet that out and edge seal the panel, then apply wood flour-thickened epoxy when I bond it in place.

Position the insulation, then weigh it down

Same process for the aft stateroom transom cabinet panels

Aft stateroom porthole surround panels get the same treatment

Done insulating…time to let the sticky epoxy cure

Next day, epoxy is cured

Headboard shelf panel should stay warm to the touch, even in winter

Insulated on one side, pretty mahogany on the other

Ready to install

Buffalo Batt: R3 insulation value in 1.5″ of woven fabric that doesn’t absorb water or itch

That’s it for the insulating. Now for the fun part!

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing the Port V-berth Mahogany Wall Panel