1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Helm Windshield Wrap Up

The helm windshield has always been a big challenge on this Roamer. But it needs to be fully sealed and functioning properly before the tent comes down.

I first removed the original windshield back in 2013. I also messed around with various Chris Craft windshield frame extrusions to try and make something to replace the sheet of clear plastic a previous owner had installed for a center windshield. Getting the original windshield frames to fit back in where they came from was also a big chore. Then, just when I thought I had the windshield frames figured out, the bastard thieves cleaned out the boat and stole a bunch of aluminum extrusions that made up the windshield frame among other things.

So I regrouped and took a totally different approach. I had a fabricator make a new windshield frame that looked nearly identical to the original Chris Craft design, but it was welded together as a single unit rather than using 10 different extrusions held together with brackets and screws. Unfortunately, fabricators around me have been consistently awful, and the fit of the new windshield frame to the cabin top and helm roof were really poor. Since I couldn’t get a fabricator who could make the new frame fit the boat, we made the boat fit the windshield frame instead.

With the bodywork around the windshield frame done, I made patterns that I sent off to Motion Windows. Their clamp-in style of marine windows should work perfectly here. Unfortunately, Motion Windows really botched the build. Despite confirming the sizes three times, they made the clamps rings and individual window frames too big to fit in the new frame!

But finally, in 2016, the windshield installation was done. And it looked good, too. The only thing left was to refurbish and reinstall the center windscreen opener, which I finished in November of 2022. But there was a problem that I only discovered when we were washing the boat in late 2022: the center windshield from Motion Windows leaked!

Water is leaking through the screw holes for the center windshield clamp ring

The Motion Windows frame is installed from the outside of the main windshield frame. There’s a clamp ring that’s installed with screws from the inside of the main frame. The water isn’t leaking past the window glass…it’s coming through the screws of the clamp ring. This doesn’t seem like it should be possible.

A leaking clamp ring screw

Surveying the scene from the outside, I found a problem

The original Motion Windows exterior seal, which has only been directly exposed to sunlight for ~12 hours since new, has shrunk 1/2″.

The side seal has also shrunk

Those seals used to form a tight joint at the corners, when the windows were new. I’m guessing the fabricator pulled the seal material a bit, stretching it out when he cut it. It stayed stretched as long as friction from the rubber to glass joint was dry. But washing the boat for the first time lubricated that joint and the rubber retracted to its natural size.

I contacted Motion Windows about the problem. They very kindly sent out a length of their rubber seal so I could re-do it.

When I removed the original seal, I found more strange stuff

The glass is bonded with urethane to the windshield extrusion. That seal is fine. But there’s a very lightweight strip of foam filling a gap in the extrusion just outside of the glass. That foam strip is covered with dust and dirt that presumably came in with water through the gap at the corners of the outer seal. The screws for the clamp ring thread in to the space in the extrusion on the other side of that flimsy foam seal.

Found the breach

There’s only ~1/16″ of contact area between the extrusion here and the flimsy foam strip, but in this one spot there was zero contact. Even if the foam strip was watertight everywhere else, water could easily flow into the screw gallery here, then out the screw holes and onto the dashboard.

I cleaned up all of the dust and dirt and prepared to seal the gap

Another odd thing: notice in the picture above that the flimsy foam seal stops halfway up the window. That would seem to leave a large area where water can flow into the screw gallery portion of the extrusion.

I applied a generous bead of Lexel crystal clear sealant to fill the gap and cover the flimsy foam strip

Lexel claims that it ‘sticks to anything’ so I applied some to the rubber seal joints

That should hold the joints together

Ready to press the last section of new exterior seal home

Boom. Done

The new seals have been in place for two months now. Rain has come through some holes in Tent Model XXX’s shrink wrap skin (which is long past its expiration date) and I can confirm that the windshield no longer leaks.

Yea!

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing the CAPAC Anti-Corrosion System (mostly)

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Helm Windshield is Finally Done

After a long string of problems, I finally got the last windshield installed at the helm. My windshield trials and tribulations started when I disassembled the original helm windshield and found a bunch of broken bits and pieces. I also had to make new parts to replace the center opening windshield frame, which had been removed and replaced with a sheet of plexiglass by a previous owner. I ordered new tempered glass. Then, just when I had the original windshield ready to paint and reinstall, the bastard thieves burglarized my tent, clearing out many tens of thousands of dollars worth of tools, supplies, and original parts, including several of the heavy windshield frame extrusions. Fortunately, my insurance covered the loss, and I commissioned a new windshield frame. But the fabricator ultimately wasn’t up to the task, and I had to break open the paint to repair damage he caused and to make the boat fit the new frame. With new paint on the hard top and dashboard and the new windshield frame painted in metalic black Awl Grip, things were finally looking pretty good. I ordered new windshields from Motion Windows because their design is absolutely the best in the industry. But, as with the bow seat windows I ordered from them, their design is great but Motion Windows’ execution is a problem. Specifically, they oversized five out of the six windows I ordered. A little bit smaller than specified isn’t a problem, but the worst of the window clamp rings was 3/16″ too big to fit in the window opening. After their first unprofessional, insulting response, I stopped payment and waited to see what they would do. When the boss at Motion contacted me, I explained that it doesn’t matter if you’ve got the best product design in the world if you can’t nail the implementation. We went back and forth a few times before they finally agreed to make new clamp rings to within 1/8″ of my specification. I carefully measured again and then waited. Finally, the new rings arrived…and they were too damned big. But not so ridiculously big that I couldn’t modify them to make them fit. But seriously…are you kidding me?!?!

OK…rant over. Now it’s picture time.

Motion Windows’ frame and trim ring extrusions…a brilliant design

The window frames (the more complex extrusion on top in the pic above) rest inside the window opening. The clamp/trim rings screw into the frame extrusion from inside the window opening, clamping the window into the opening with no screws on the exterior. The extrusion on the right was for the big center opening windshield, and the trim ring stays outside of the window opening. On the left is the extrusion they used for the port and starboard helm windshield frames. The L-shaped portion of the clamp ring where the screws go through fits inside the window opening…unless, of course, the clamp ring is made too big.

The clamp rings arrived nicely wrapped

Lining up a new trim ring with the first one Motion sent

On the far end, you can see how oversized the first ring was: 3/16″ oversized

Some corner welds look pretty good

38-15/16″, just like I ordered

Both of the trim rings had at least one dimension that was exactly as I ordered, which tells me Motion Windows can manufacture their windows accurately.

But other corner welds are relatively big blobs that stick out too far

34-11/16″ (heavy) ≠ 34-9/16″ ±1/16…oversized again!

Trim ring doesn’t fit on a corner of the window opening

It’s frustrating that, once again, Motion Windows oversized the trim rings. The weld blobs were a problem before, too, with the bow seat windows. If they’d just dress them a bit with a grinder, as they clearly do with the weld along the face of the extrusion, I suspect the rings would fit fine. So I took a cutoff wheel to the new trim, breaking open the brand new powder coat in the process. That gives aluminum oxidation a place to start, but what else can I do?

I cringe when I break open brand new, perfect aluminum coatings to fix manufacturing flaws

Corner #1 shaved

and #2

And #3

With the corners shaved, the trim fits in the hole. I quickly applied Sikaflex to the bare aluminum. Hopefully, that will keep oxidation from loosening up the powder coat.

The helm window frame has been taped and ready for window install for almost two months

A generous application of Sikaflex 291 LOT on the window frame

Flip the window into the opening, then squeegee off the caulk that squeezes out

A dab of Sikaflex on the trim screws helps keep the aluminum sealed as the screws drive home

Pulling the tape

Looks good!

Final wipe down cleans up the last of the Sikaflex

Oh…one last thing

Much better

Finally, the helm windshield is done!

 The lesson learned here is that Motion Windows has an excellent concept for their windows, but they consistently oversize their product with sloppy cuts and blobby welds. Maybe they’re better with windows that only have 90° or radiused corners.  Either way, I’m glad the windows are finally in and I can put a check in that box. Once I fill a few more holes, I’ll be able to wash the boat since she’s looking pretty sad from all the dust. In the mean time, I’ve got to keep moving forward if we’re going to splash later this year.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Exhaust V

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Completing the Bow Seat Window Installation

With two out of three mahogany panels installed for the galley/bow seat windows, next I wrapped up installing the center window and the port panel and window.

Center and starboard bow seat windows are installed

The boat’s filthy!

Once the outside is waterproof, I plan to wash the whole thing. Gotta get the windows in first.

Glue and clamp the port panel in place

2×4 pushes the edge tight to the side mahogany panel

Next day, off come the clamps and in goes the window for a test fit

Nice fit at the corner [pats self on back 🙂 ]

I’m a weekend warrior woodworker, so making these panels fit–with all of the angles and bevels–was a huge challenge. Fortunately, it turned out pretty good. After the way things have gone with most of the highly paid professionals on this refit, it feels good when a rookie like me does a better job than the pros.

Blow off the dust and get ready to install the window

Taped off and ready to install

Alcohol cleans the sealing surfaces, Sikaflex 291 LOT is the sealant, and I used some leftover Awlgrip T0170 Surface Cleaner to clean up any caulk residue that remains after I pull the tape.

Center opening window is a very cool feature.

Motion Windows design is outstanding. I really like the center opening windows, and the fact that there are no exterior fasteners or holes to let in water. It’s too bad they consistently oversize the windows so they don’t fit in the window openings, and Motion’s unprofessional response to my complaint about oversizing should serve as a warning to anybody planning to purchase from them.

Et voila! Done!

It’s great to finally have the bow seat windows and interior mahogany panels installed, especially with winter coming. And this winter looks like it’s going to be a whopper. Temps in the Mid-Atlantic region have been very warm in December, just like they were in 2003 when we first moved to the area. If the pattern holds, I expect that around the second week of January temps will drop below freezing and stay there for a month, though it hopefully won’t be as brutally cold as it was last year. We’ve had a few mornings that dropped below freezing, and I can already tell there’s a huge benefit from the spray foam insulation I installed earlier this year. So the cold won’t be an issue; the bigger concern is snow.

The boat explosion next door in July 2015 shredded my tent shrink wrap film and broke some of the tent frames in addition to blowing out a window and damaging my brand new Awlgrip paint. Tent Model X has been awesome–a vast improvement over Tent Models I through XI–and it was tough enough to survive Hurricane Sandy unscathed. But there’s no way post-explosion Tent Model X  can hold up to the roof loads of a snow storm, and I’ve got to re-make the scaffolding so the paint damage can be fixed. Which means I’m back in the tent-making business…

Next up on our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Tent Model XXX

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Installing the Bow Seat Window Mahogany Panels

Back in May 2015, I made the bow seat window interior panels. But they sat gathering dust as other priorities got done, like installing the port and starboard engines, installing the helm windshield frame, painting the aft head. staining and varnishing the salon…it’s been a busy year. But I’ve got to get the exterior weatherproof, so it’s time to install those bow seat interior panels and get the windows in.

Panels cut and beveled in May 2015…ready for ICA clear coat

Mahogany panels coated with ICA in the spray booth

Ribbon stripe is very pronounced in new mahogany under the bright spray booth lights

“Paint adjustment” to accommodate Motion Windows oversizing 2/3 of the window frames

Another “paint adjustment” for Motion’s oversized window and some spray foam insulation had to be trimmed

I had to take a grinder to two of the window openings because Motion Windows tends to make their frames too big. It doesn’t seem to matter whether I send them dimensions in text form, drawings, or even templates of the window holes cut from 1/4″ luan plywood with explicit instructions to NOT make the frame bigger than the template…Motion Windows STILL makes 2 out of 3 frames too big. But enough of that nonsense. It’s time to get the panels installed!

Step 1: wet out the backside of the mahogany panel with West System epoxy

I wetted out the panel around the window opening itself, too, so there’s plenty of epoxy soaked into the wood. Since I’m using screwless construction here, the epoxy bond has to be very strong.

70% wood flour and 30% cabosil used to thicken the epoxy that will fill the gaps

Slather the thickened epoxy on both panels

Clamp in place…good squeeze out at the top

Need some creativity when clamping the corners

I used a long mahogany board pulled from the pile to push the long edge of the panel up tight to the side panel.

Let it sit overnight

Looking good!

Cut edges will wick water and start to rot if the windows ever leak

The shot above shows the joint between the new panel and the painted bow seat window opening. If the caulk that seals the window ever leaks, water might be able to wick into the unsealed plywood edge and start rotting out the panel.

I fully saturated the cut edges with epoxy so water can never get into the panel

Saturating the edge and the joint with epoxy might be overkill, but I never want to have to deal with rotten plywood again. The down-side to this approach is that once the epoxy is applied, I have to wait until the next day for it to cure. Fortunately, there’s lots of other stuff to do on the boat. The following day, I installed the window.

Tape off window frame in preparation for Sikaflex 291 LOT caulk

Tape around the window frame catches most of the squeezed out caulk

Use a squeegee to remove most of the caulk, then pull the tape and clean up

Done!

I can’t wait to get all of the windows in so I can wash the boat. All of the wood and sanding dust makes the brand new paint look like hell.

Center panel, repeat the process

Clamp and come back the next day

Looking good!

Good epoxy squeeze-out means the panel is fully bonded to the substrate. The following day, I sealed the cut edges with epoxy, and the day after that I installed the window.

Tape off the center window for caulk

After wiping the flange with alcohol, I’m ready to run a heavy bead of caulk

A nice, heavy bead of Sikaflex 291 LOT

Good squeeze-out all around means 100% contact

Use a squeegee to clean up most of the caulk

Pull the tape and wipe down with kerosene to remove Sikaflex residue

Done!

The up-side to this approach is that I believe I will never again have to deal with rotten plywood around these windows. The down-side is that it’s very time consuming. Installing two panels and two windows consumed three days. I’ll have to wrap up the last window in the next go-round.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Completing the Bow Seat Window Installation

1969 Chris Craft Roamer Refit: The Curse of the #&*%^)! Helm Windshield

There are times when things happen on this boat refit that put a smile on my face. Pulling off all of the tape and protective plastic when the paint job was done …that was good. The aft stateroom walls turning out so nicely was good, as was installing the starboard engine using the gantry I made. The salon varnish and making the steps pretty were also highlights.

But then there are things that happen that make me regret having ever started this stupid project…pretty much everything “Mr. Good-but-slow” touched…the SMIB fabricator welding the aft enclosure walls together like they were part of an Escher print…the incomparably incompetent “marine engineer” and professional welder who failed to install my engines in 2012 and tried to MIG weld aluminum using reverse polarity…and there was the other fabricator who insisted on building my replacement windshield frame his way, but in the end it didn’t fit. Then there was the huge theft loss in May 2014 and the boat explosion next to mine in 2015. Aside from the theft loss and the explosion, the pattern that emerges is that expensive professionals doing work when I’m not around to hold their hands inevitably leads to disappointment.

Well…it’s happened again with Motion Windows. That’s the same Motion Windows that I had build my bow seat windows. They have  a terrific product, but the problem is they’re careless when it comes to measuring twice before cutting and welding. Their fabricator seems inclined to oversize the frames 2/3 of the time, and also fails to take into account the thickness that his welds add to the overall window frame dimension.

In early September 2015, I sent a preliminary inquiry to Motion for new helm windows , with pictures from another Chris Craft showing the layout of the original windows.

Example pic sent to Motion

Center-opening windshield with centrally-mounted linear actuator

Per the instructions on their website, Motion requires ± 1/16″ measurements of the rough window opening. I’d been trying to take accurate measurements using a good tape measure and my Bosch laser, which is accurate to 1mm. But the angles involved and welded corners of the helm windshield frame made it very difficult–I couldn’t get consistent numbers. So I averaged the readings I was getting and  sent those dimensions to Motion with the initial inquiry. Motion responded by indicating the trigonometry wasn’t working out. So I cut close-fitting patterns of the window openings using 1/4″ luan. I took pictures of the luan patterns and sent them to Motion, asking if that would suffice. Motion wrote back, telling me to send them the 1/4″ luan plywood patterns and label each one in a very particular way. Motion told me to mark the patterns “with the words “FRAME SIZE” which will indicate to us not to reduce the dimensions of the pattern for hole size fit since these templates are already reduced to fit inside the hole openings.”

Mind you, I did not tell them the template was the size I wanted the frames…Motion told me how they’d use the templates. I figured they’re the professionals, they know their process, and if they don’t make any portion of the the frames larger than the physical template I was sending them, what could possibly go wrong?

Pix I sent to Motion, showing the luan pattern fits perfectly INSIDE the hole all the way around

The clamps in the pic above are holding a 2×4 that crosses the window opening. The pattern is on the 2×4, completely inside the window opening.

Side pattern…same close fit INSIDE the hole

But because of the problems with the first set of bow seat windows being made too big, I wanted to make sure Motion knew how close the tolerances were, so I sent even more pictures showing that the pattern was undersized just enough to fit in the hole.

Within 1/16″ of the hole opening, exactly as stated in Motion’s instructions

Close fit, per Motion’s instructions, even in the welded corners

Close fit in the upper corners, too

In that email to Motion, I wrote “I’ve attached pictures of the templates. They all fit without interference, but please let me know if you see any trouble areas. I’ll mark them as you indicated, crate them up and send them your way via FedEx.”

I called Motion to confirm the templates would work, then shipped them off. Ten days later, I got a quote from Motion that included the statement “The attached quotation identifies the actual frame heel dimension that will fit opening (size of the part we are building).” The dimensions in the attached engineering drawing were just right–varying between 1/16″~ 1/8″ inside each window hole in the frame.

Note the center window hinges and latches

Everything looked great, but because of the problems with the bow seat windows I wanted to make sure they didn’t oversize them again. So I called and spoke to the boss at Motion one last time, who said the patterns were very good and confirmed that no portion of the frames would overhang the dimensions of the templates I sent.

Perfect. What could possibly go wrong?

The windows arrived on schedule and, though they’re expensive, the design is brilliant and well worth the expense…ummm…except for a few things at first glance.

Fresh out of the crate, the windows looked great

High pressure gas springs were unexpected

I suppose on some boats, high pressure gas springs would be helpful for manually opening a big window. But on most big Chris Crafts, they used electro-mechanical actuators to open the center helm windshields. Instead of climbing up on the dashboard and crawling 5′ to the window, all you do is flip a switch one way or the other and the window opens and closes. So, not only do I not need or want these gas springs, if I remove them so they don’t stress my linear actuator I’ll be stuck with ugly tabs welded to the frame. That would give the windshield a cobbled-together appearance that I don’t want. And since I didn’t order them and Motion never mentioned that they planned to install them (they’re not in the drawing, either), it was disappointing to discover they’d been installed.

But that’s not all. There’s also a handle Motion welded onto the lower center of the windshield, presumably to make it easier to manually open and close the window with the gas spring-assist. But they welded the handle on right where my linear actuator needs to attach. Fastening the actuator to the handle will add to the cobbled-together look.

I was anxious about how the windows would fit, but I was solo that day and the windows are a bit cumbersome going up the ladder. So I grabbed the starboard window and carefully brought it to the helm and fit it to the windshield frame…it slid right in with a perfect 1/8″ gap! I didn’t want to risk damaging my paint or the windows, so–assuming the other two windows would fit–I called my Boatamalan* crew and arranged for three guys to come out the following Saturday for a day installing windows and associated mahogany trim.

* Boatamalan: Noun. Joking portmanteau referring to the Central American origin of this crew of custom boatmakers (boat + Guatamalan). In fact, the Boatamalans are from Honduras, but Boatduras doesn’t roll off the tongue like Boatamalan does. 🙂

Starboard window taped and ready for Sikaflex 291 LOT

After applying the Sikaflex, I climbed up on the dashboard to install the clamp ring–the interior trim ring that has holes drilled in it. Screws go through the clamp ring and into the back-side of the window frame. Tightening the screws pulls the outer window into the window frame without any fasteners or holes on the outside. It’s really a brilliant design. The problem, though, is with the execution…

The corners of the clamp ring don’t fit into the window opening

The angles of the clamp ring are all fine, but all four corners stick out too far. They don’t fit in the hole. But because we already had Sikaflex applied, I decided to tighten up as many screws as I could and figure out a better solution later. By the time I discovered this problem, the Boatamalans had already started prepping the center windshield opening. And that’s when we found the next problem.

Center windshield doesn’t fit the hole

Once again, Motion Windows has made a window bigger than the pattern I provided! And it turns out that the port window had the exact same problem: the frame is too big by ~1/16″ on one corner. So, I’ve got these beautiful windows with the outstanding design, but they don’t fit. I’ve got a very expensive windshield frame with brand new Awlgrip paint, and I asked three guys to come work on a Saturday installing the windows. I can’t just send the guys home…it’s not their fault Motion screwed up again. But the cost of three guys for a day’s work when they only work an hour would be a big loss–about 80% of what I paid for the three windows. So I made one of those decisions under duress that I absolutely hate…we broke out the die grinder and ground into the brand new Awlgrip and the welded corner of the window frame to create clearance.

Center windshield hole ground back to remove 1/16″ of the corner weld

Port window opening corner weld ground back 1/16″

The whole time we’re grinding back the windshield frame, I’m thinking “what the hell was the point of me making perfect patterns, taking pictures of the fit, sending them all to Motion exactly as Motion directed, then calling TWICE to confirm the windows wouldn’t be any bigger than the patterns???” It’s not the size of the project or the challenges of doing things I’ve never done before that cause me grief…mostly it’s this stuff: incompetent, highly paid contractors failing to do the work they’re paid for. THAT’s what makes me regret ever starting this stupid project!

Center windshield looks good

The way things were going, I was pleasantly surprised when the clamp ring for the center windshield fit well. The screws pulled the window in tight and we got good squeeze-out of Sikaflex. But before we moved on to the port window, I took a look at the clamp ring to see if it would fit in the hole.

Houston…we have a problem.

The clamp ring won’t fit because it’s 3/16″ too long in each of the corners

On the bow seat windows, the clamp rings do not fit inside the window opening. Instead, they’re oriented opposite of the above picture. So, the part that sticks out from the flange protrudes inside the boat rather than toward the window frame. This makes the clamp ring-to-window opening fit irrelevant. The clamp rings for the center helm windshield are oriented the same way, which is why it fit without a hitch. But there is no way in hell the clamp ring in the above picture can fit into the same window opening as the window frame itself especially since the window was made slightly too big on one corner. The whole thing is too big by 3/8″ (2 x 3/16″)!

Speaking of the frame being too big, note the size of weld on that corner. It protrudes about 3/32″ from the frame, and the welds on all four corners are roughly the same size. It’s a good, robust weld…but it affects the dimensions of the frame. If Motion Window’s fabricator had checked the frames against the pattern I provided, it would have been obvious they were too big. Even a rookie like me knows to measure twice and cut once.

So, rather than installing the port window with the oversized clamp ring, we stopped after spending three hours getting two windows in. I sent the Boatamalans home, paying them a full day’s wages. I’ll see what Motion Windows has to say about this, but at this point I’m extremely frustrated and disappointed. There’s no doubt the concept for their product is outstanding, as are the extrusions, the welds, and the powdercoating. But five out of the six windows I’ve bought from them have were built too big in spite of me sending them patterns and repeatedly reminding them that the frames cannot be any bigger than the patterns. We’ll see what they say…

Next up on our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer Refit: Installing the Port Engine

1969 Chris Craft Roamer Refit: Installing the New Helm Windshield Frame

Back in early September, 2015, after many trials and tribulations, the helm windshield frame finally got painted. I had to shift focus for a bit to get the salon sanded, stained, and sprayed with ICA base coat clear, but now I need to get back on the windshield frame because Motion Windows–the same shop that made my new bow seat windows–has informed me that the new windshields are on the way.

I’m all giddy! 🙂

The windshield as found in 2007

The windshield frame in 2013

To properly prep the cabin top for paint, I had t0 remove the windshield frame. The hardware holding the window frame in place was very lightweight and missing in spots, but I don’t know if that was how Chris Craft did it or if the boat was damaged at some point and repaired (albeit poorly)–I suspect the latter.

Original windshield hardware–lightweight and loose

In some spots there was only a hole with no machine screw attaching the windshield to the cabin top

So when I installed the new windshield frame in 2015, I used 1/4″-20 stainless bolts and large fender washers with plenty of TefGel to protect the threaded aluminum from the stainless.

First, I re-drilled the holes

Next, we applied 3M 4000 UV adhesive and positioned the frame. With so many things going on, I didn’t have time to take pictures, but suffice it to say that lining up the bolt holes in a 10′ x 4′ complex 3-dimensional structure when everything is coated in sticky black caulk was a bit of a challenge. In the end, everything worked out fine.

Get one started, and the rest soon follow

One by one, the bolts went in

Last one in and done!

While I was working on the bolts from below, my assistants were screwing the top of the frame to the hardtop. Then we got to work cleaning up the caulk. I’d say the results were worth the effort.

A nice upgrade from the original

It’s great to have the boat in Tent Model X, protecting it from the elements over this long project, but I’m really getting sick of tent frames messing up good pictures. 😉

Just needs windshields!

The FedEx tracking tells me the windshields are on the way from Vancouver, Washington and will be here in a week. Perfect timing!

In the interim, it’s time to get a box of shiny parts out of my basement and back on the boat…

Next up on our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer Refit: Shiny Gauges Installed in the Dashboard

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Shiny Matterhorn White on the Hard Top (again)

I’ve finally caught up completely to where I was in May 2014 when the bastard thieves took everything they could carry out of the tent. The hard top was already painted, but since they stole the aluminum drip rails I had to break open the paint to fiberglass the edge where the drip rail would have mounted. The burglars also grabbed half of the aluminum helm windshield frame extrusions, and the new frame I had made required me to break open the paint on the cabin top and add some fairing compound to get the fit just right. We painted the windshield frame a week ago, and over this last weekend we painted the hard top and cabin top (again) with Matterhorn white Awlcraft 2000. I’ve gotten a lot of other things done over the last year in addition to recovering from the theft loss–the aft stateroom walls are in, the spray foam insulation is done, the galley bulkhead is in, and I made a gantry and installed the starboard engine–but with the paint work done I can finally put the theft behind me; from now on it’s all progress toward the goal of launching in 2016.

Taping off the hard top after sanding the Awlgrip 545 primer with 320 grit

Fillets and fiberglass might even look better than the original aluminum drip rail

Fume extraction system

The 12″ axial fume extractor fan hose goes down to a filter box. At 2000cfm, the fan pulls in pretty much all of the fumes and overspray, and no particulates come through the filters. It’s a pretty slick system, and works especially well in confined spaces.

Cover Guard diamond plate plastic floor covering for dust-free walking space

Windshield area is ready for paint

New windshield frame paint is protected

Windshield frame bolt holes get taped from the salon side

Painting in progress. Exhaust fans, on…no overspray coming out

Shiny!

My Boatamalan* painter calls Awlgrip topcoats “the shiny.” The guy has serious skills when it comes to laying this stuff out glossy and flat.

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

Good lookin’ fillets!

Foam roll tape is super expensive for what you get, but it makes an invisible blend

Check out that reflection!

The major paint work is now a wrap. I sent the windshield frame patterns to Motion Windows, and the new helm station windshield windows should be done within six weeks. We’re letting the paint cure for a few weeks before installing the windshield, so I’m shifting gears and heading back down to continue on the aft stateroom head ceiling.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Moldings for the Aft Stateroom Head

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The Helm Station Windshield III

With the paint around the helm windshield ground back and new fiberglass installed to fit the new windshield frame to this old boat, next I made the patterns for the new windows and we wrapped up the bodywork on the hardtop.

Center helm windshield pattern for new Motion Windows

Motion Windows did a good job making the bow seat windows, and they say they’ll be able to produce a 2-pane center windshield with a fixed lower and hinged upper, like the original but better. That center opening windshield lets the breeze in and really makes the helm and aft deck pleasant when it’s warm outside. I was glad to hear they’ll be able to make it.

Center opening windshield typical of late ’60s Chris Craft cruisers

I’m shipping the patterns off to Motion today, which means the windows should be ready to install before November. It’ll be nice to have glass back in the boat. With the patterns made, next we removed the frame and got busy with the final bodywork.

The hardtop is shaped to the windshield and sprayed with Awlquik

Lower windshield landing changed shape just a bit

Carbide circular saw blade shaped the new fiberglass

Ah, yes…there’s nothing quite like being surrounded by fiberglass dust again. I hope we never have to do this again.

Several layers of new ‘glass fill the old gaps

The biggest gap filled with the most ‘glass

Oh, and here’s some free advice about fiberglass and marital bliss: Even fully suited up, it’s inevitable that some ‘glass dust will find a bare spot of skin. Fortunately, loofa sponges are great for scrubbing itchy glass fibers out of your skin after all the nasty FRP work is done.  But–and this is critical–DO NOT USE the missus’ loofa that’s always sitting there in the shower at home no matter how itchy you are. You’d think she wouldn’t mind, but apparently some of the glass fibers can end up taking up residence in the loofa and…um…surprising the loofa owner the next time she uses it.

Let me tell you, whoever came up with the phrase hell hath no fury like a woman scorned clearly never experienced the fury of a woman whose loofa has been tainted with FRP dust. Lesson learned…perfectly justified bruises heal. 😉

 

Black guide coat helps ensure consistent sanding

Primed and sanded hardtop

The hardtop fillets are turning out nice, and are a good alternative to the OEM aluminum drip rails that were stolen by the bastard thieves back in May 2014.

Guide coat sanding on the hardtop

Awlgrip primer over shiny Awlgrip paint on the underside of the hard top at the transom

We’ve got to finish sanding the primer and prep for paint. But first, the windshield frame needs to be primed and painted since it will be much easier and a more efficient use of materials to tape off the freshly painted windshield to paint the hardtop than it would be if we put “the shiny” (as my Boatamalan painter calls it) on the hardtop first.

Next up on our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Sparkly Shiny Helm Windshield Frame

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Bow Seat Window Interior Panels

I’m still working through my options on the helm station windshield saga, but there are plenty of other things going on with the project to keep me busy. The helm windshield problem affects many other things, though, so at this point it’s unclear whether or not we’ll be able to splash the Roamer as planned in fall 2015. Getting all of the windows installed is one of the things that absolutely has to happen regardless. The bow seat windows have been awaiting installation since 2013, so I might as well get moving on that. There’s just this one little hitch though…

Chris Craft’s design had some…issues

The pic above from Day One of our 1969 Roamer Refit, back in December 2007, shows how Chris Craft installed the bow seat windows from the inside, using sealant between the glass and the fiberglass cabin top, all of which was held in place by mahogany bits on the inside. As you can see, that approach did not work well, in part, because it allowed water to pool at the base of the glass. When the sealant at the base of the glass started leaking, which probably started within the first few years (if not months or even weeks) after the boat went into service, it completely destroyed the interior paneling below.

After the paperwork SNAFU was resolved in 2012 and the refit restarted in earnest, I met a woodworker who was sailing the Americas in a steel boat he’d refitted. While overwintering nearby, he developed a following of loyal customers who highly recommended him for my refit. I saw a few examples of work he’d done and eventually contracted with this sailor/woodworker, who described himself  as “good but slow.” Slow was fine with me…it was the good part I was really after, and the price seemed fair.

Motion Windows’ design is best

The pic above shows the clamp-in window design from Motion Windows , in which the window frame seals on the outside, but the only fasteners are on the inside of the boat. In my opinion, this design is the best in the industry since, among other things, it uses no screws on the exterior for rain to eventually find a way in. And since they’re basically flush to the exterior, water isn’t given an opportunity to pool anywhere. The manufacturer specifies no more than 1/16” deflection in the bulkhead to which their window frames are affixed, which seems reasonable since we’re talking about panes of glass that naturally want to lie in single planes. My new windows arrived in 2013.

Out with the original

The shot above is from 2012, when I was remaking the bow seat, and shows the galley window openings with all of the original glass, wood, and bonding compounds removed. The fiberglass is ground back and ready for Mr. Good-but-slow to install new plywood.

Since the three bow seat windows are on three different planes, I felt the best approach was to cut three panels of ¾” Douglas fir marine ply that would fit up tightly to the backside of the fiberglass around the galley window openings, yielding three planes to which the Motion Windows would clamp. Then, the fairing crew on the cabin top would simply make the exterior surfaces flat and parallel (to within 1/16”) to the 1” deep window opening (i.e. ¾” plywood + 1/8”~ 3/16” fiberglass cabin top thickness + thickened epoxy filling in any irregularities and bonding everything together). Finally, I would apply mahogany veneers to the three marine plywood panels and finish it bright before finally installing the Motion Windows.

After explaining all of this to Mr. Good-but-slow back in the fall of 2012, I came back a week later to find something other than what we had discussed.

Not quite what I had in mind

Notice in the pic above that there are not three panels of ¾” Douglas fir marine ply in three planes. Each of the separate elements—the uprights and top and bottom cross pieces–are their own separate planes.

The hitch: 9 planes instead of 3

While Mr. Good-but-slow epoxied the ten separate panels very well to the fiberglass around the window openings, his approach yielded nine planes instead of three! The planes created by the center upright bits were ~8° off of the planes for the cross pieces installed to either side. Plus, none of the top pieces were in the same plane as their corresponding bottom pieces. Instead of meeting the manufacturer’s 1/16” tolerance for the bulkhead thickness, there were up to ¼” gaps in the corners where the flat mating surface for the window’s aluminum inner clamp ring met Mr. Good-but-slow’s handiwork.

Since this pattern had recurred (to varying degrees) three times with other projects I’d assigned to Mr. Good-but-slow, I let him go when he wrapped up the 4^th and last project I had him working on. Turns out that Mr. Meh-and-Slow would have been a more accurate name. As usual…Enter the Boatamalan* to fix the problems caused by the American “craftsman.”

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

Using his mad skills with a grinder, sanding block, a straight edge, and some Awlfair, my Boatamalan fairing crew chief and most excellent painter removed material from the uprights and upper and lower elements so there were three planes—one around each window opening where the window clamp ring lands. The port and starboard-side planes meet the center plane midway through the center uprights, which is what I need for the workaround I came up with for the interior mahogany. I can’t use veneer, as planned, because of all of Mr. Good-but-slow‘s wacky planes outside of the area the Boatamalan faired. Jumping ahead to 2015, I’ll use ½” African mahogany ply to make the finished interior panels against which the interior window clamp ring will clamp.

Luan strips and a hot glue gun for pattern-making

More luan strips for the starboard panel pattern

The vertical luan strip at the middle of the center upright is where port and center panels should meet

The plane of the side panels is offset from the center window panel by ~15°. So if I cut the inner edges of the side panels at 15°, I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to cut the center panel side edges square.

Port-side pattern at the complex upper corner, where nothing is square

So…if I’ve done my calculations right, starting from the top in the pic above…the top edge for the side panels will need to be cut at 45°. The short vertical bit needs a 15° cut, followed by another 45° cut for the short horizontal. Then, the long vertical (or is that diagonal?) outer side edge needs a 21° cut, followed by 45° across the bottom of the panel. And I’ll need the aforementioned 15° cut for the inside edge that will meet the center panel.

I’m not a professional woodworker, and I’ve never done this kind of stuff before. What could possibly go wrong??? 🙂

Transferring the patterns onto the 4′ x 8′ African mahogany ply

The mahogany ply in the pic above is lying on my Eureka Zone EZ-One woodworking table. For breaking down big panels in a small space with extremely precise cuts, you can’t beat this table and the track saw that goes with it.

Cross cut then rip to the marks from the patterns

Angled cuts get the panel close to the final size

Jigsaw wouldn’t stay on the line

I tried to use my Makita jigsaw for the complex upper corner cuts, but with the base set at 45° I couldn’t keep the blade from wandering off the line. Time to break out the heavy hardware.

Roll out the Shop Smith for complex angle cuts

Though the bastard thieves took most of the attachments for my Shop Smith when they cleaned me out in May 2014, I’m guessing the base machine was [fortunately] too big for them to take. For the complex cuts I need to make on these panels, the Shop Smith table saw and bandsaw should get the job done.

Set the table saw and band saw to 45°

Done and done

I had to finish the cuts by hand where the two angles meet in the corner, but it turned out pretty good.

45° cut along the bottom (and top) went right to the line

Verify the line for the 21° edge cut

My biggest fear is that I’ll get the orientation wrong on these angled cuts and go the wrong way. With each successful cut, I got more and more nervous that the next cut I made would turn the panel into scrap.

Setting the table at 21° for the last cut

Booyah. Fits like a freakin’ old-school pro did it

I did not take video of the happy dance I was doing after this piece clicked into place, nor would I show it to anyone if such a video existed. But rest assured…there was, indeed, a happy dance. 🙂

Cut the rough window opening with a jigsaw, re-fit, and mark the actual opening

I also marked the high spots where the crazy planes from Mr. Meh-and-Slow‘s marine plywood install impinged upon the mahogany panel and stopped it from seating flush.

Creating low spots on the back-side and cutting the final window opening

BOOM! One panel down…two to go

Rinse, lather, repeat…nice fit!

Now go outside and mark the window opening and any points where Mr. Good-but-slow‘s Douglas fir plywood is high.

Port-side panel final window opening cut and low spots ground out

Two down, one to go!

The Bosch rangefinder moment of truth…

Measured between the inside edges of the two outer panels, there’s 1224mm at the top…

And 1222mm at the bottom

OK, I’m sure a real pro would nail it dead on, so I figured I’d be happy if I got it within 1/4″ (~6mm). But 2mm off over the height of the panel comes to only 0.03 degrees off on my final cut. I have no idea how I did that, but not too damned bad if I do say so myself! And I can easily make that up when I cut the final center panel.

More happy dance… 🙂

Back to the EurekaZone track saw

BOOM!

Et voila!

One of the cooler features on the boat

The center bow seat opens, which is one of the neater updates we’ve done to the original design. When we’re out in an anchorage or under way, we’ll get great airflow through the galley and salon. Venting heat from cooking in the galley will be a breeze, too: just flip the window open and lock it in place.

I need to take the panels off again and send them to the Boatamalan to be coated on the inner mahogany surface with ICA clear coat base before I epoxy them in place and install the windows for good. This is the same approach I used with the aft stateroom bulkhead walls, which turned out surprisingly nice. Resolving the problems created by Mr. Good-but-slow and getting the panels fitted is a huge step toward getting the glass in and [hopefully] splashing in 2015.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Aft Stateroom Head Walls

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: The New Windshield Frames

While trying to recover from the theft loss in May 2014, I discovered that the foundry that made the windshield frame extrusions can still make new ones. Unfortunately, they make extrusions in 600 lbs runs, and there were five different extrusions stolen. I’d need 3,000lbs worth of new extrusions run to replace the 3~9 feet worth of stolen extrusions. To say this was cost prohibitive would be an understatement. I also had already bought new 1/4″ tinted safety glass for the windshield, and 1,000 of those funky #6 undercut head Philips screws that held the OE windshield together. If anybody with a sister ship needs new glass or screws, drop me a line.

The benefit of having to start nearly from scratch is that you can take advantage of all of the technical advancements that have happened since 1969 when our Roamer 46 was made. So, instead of having a complex structure made of hundreds of components (i.e. all of those screws and connectors holding the old frames together), I decided to go with the same basic four-pane design, with a large center upper windshield that opens, but I’ll use a welded frame and the same modern solution that worked well for the clamp-in bow seat windows. But first, the fabricator’s got to get the new frames fitted and welded together.

Prepping for welding over a brand new Awlgrip paint job

First, I bought a gross of virgin moving blankets to protect the paint from scratches. Then we taped the tough, diamond-pattern floor plastic over the top of the blankets. On the flat parts of the helm dashboard, I cut 1/4″ ply to fit. Finally, we taped corrugated paper over everything else in the vicinity of where the tack welding would be done, since welding dingleberries will burn through plastic and moving blankets, but plywood and cardboard can take the heat. The fabricator’s time is expensive, so I didn’t have time to snap off a pic when all of the fun work was going on, but the results are looking promising.

The OE frames had joints between each extrusion, and the glass was inset

New frames are a simpler, welded design

OE frame uprights were open-ended, making it difficult to seal out the elements

New frames are closed on the ends, giving lots of contact area for the bedding compound

The OE frames no longer fit well to the cabin top

The new frames fit well

The frames will fit better after they’ve gone to the paint shop and had a wee bit of fairing done to them.

The old frame fit OK at the top corners

But the new frames look lots better

The weld in the corners was getting in the way of the frame seating properly at the hardtop. Once that’s cleaned up, we’ll have a nice, tight fit.

Off the boat and back to the fabricator’s shop

Hopefully, the fabricator will finish the windshield frame so I can get it to the painter and back by Christmas or sooner.

Next up in our 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: (previously) Hateful Portlights and Bow Hatch Back from the Paint Shop