Hull Liner, Head liner and insulation

[henklor]

Bought a new (to me) Fisher motor sailor. Two years ago there was a survey done which stated that the boat was in excellent condition... well, as you might guess, when I started cleaning the boat, I found some mold, and some more, and even more... Especially behind the hull liner, it was soaken wet.
I started tearing out everything on the inside all the way back to the fibreglass....

Now it starts.
What to replace it with. I removed that old foam backed liner which was very wet and also the marine plywood that was covered with the liner was full of mold (at least was black)

I prefer not to use the foam back liner again. Beside that it doesn't have any R rating. The foam on the back seems to me a magnet for mildew... Although a better option would be the the carpet style liner, I'm not too font of the looks. (it reminds me of a open fishing boat)
I was thinking of gluing "pink" foam insulation onto the fibreglass hull and cover it with a thin sheet of mildew resistant acrylic. No air gaps and the pink foam is mildew resistant.

What is your experience and what have you used on your "reno" project.

Thanks
Henk

[Rock-Head]

Been there with the moldy headliner. Ripped out old moldy liner and furring strips, faired & painted my overhead with white paint. Looks (And smells) much better.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by henklor

Bought a new (to me) Fisher motor sailor. Two years ago there was a survey done which stated that the boat was in excellent condition... well, as you might guess, when I started cleaning the boat, I found some mold, and some more, and even more... Especially behind the hull liner, it was soaken wet.
I started tearing out everything on the inside all the way back to the fibreglass....

Now it starts.
What to replace it with. I removed that old foam backed liner which was very wet and also the marine plywood that was covered with the liner was full of mold (at least was black)

I prefer not to use the foam back liner again. Beside that it doesn't have any R rating. The foam on the back seems to me a magnet for mildew... Although a better option would be the the carpet style liner, I'm not too font of the looks. (it reminds me of a open fishing boat)
I was thinking of gluing "pink" foam insulation onto the fibreglass hull and cover it with a thin sheet of mildew resistant acrylic. No air gaps and the pink foam is mildew resistant.

What is your experience and what have you used on your "reno" project.

Thanks
Henk

Before you worry about what material to use in the refurb, install at least three solar ventilation fans to the cabin and check every window and hatch for leaks, fixing any found. The boat needs a steady flow of air and no moisture to prevent mould and fungus growth.
For what its worth, I ditched the mouse fur lining in favour of foam backed vinyl, easy to wipe clean and doesn't collect dust.
My boat is the 32 ft fisher.

[TeddyDiver]

Armaflex AF insulation. It's closed cell fire retardant self adhesive...

BR Teddy

[henklor]

@Uncle Bob:
All windows and hatches are being either repaired or renewed. This as well as some deck hardware were the cause of all of this.

[rbrentp]

Get some boric acid, the powder for bugs and heat some water. Pour and stir till it won't dissolve in the water anymore. Let it cool. Sponge it on everywhere. It kills all the mold and fungus and spores. No smell. Then what you put in starts clean. Dis this to boat eight years ago and it still smells fresh. AIr movement is also a must.
Brent

[henklor]

Originally Posted by rbrentp

Get some boric acid, the powder for bugs and heat some water. Pour and stir till it won't dissolve in the water anymore. Let it cool. Sponge it on everywhere. It kills all the mold and fungus and spores. No smell. Then what you put in starts clean. Dis this to boat eight years ago and it still smells fresh. AIr movement is also a must.
Brent

Yes, I read that you can use boric acid. I used vinegar on everything with a scrub brush. That seems to be working fairly decent

[barnakiel]

I like it eva foam under and fine plywood over. Cool in the sun and nice to look at.

Our boat has sandwich deck and cabin so we just used fine plywood panels.

b.

[henklor]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I like it eva foam under and fine plywood over. Cool in the sun and nice to look at.

Our boat has sandwich deck and cabin so we just used fine plywood panels.

b.

I like the EVA Foam idea. It seems a good solution and I think it will look good:
Cross-Linked Polyethylene Foam, Closed Cell Foam Padding, Foam Rubber Sheets

[GoneIsland]

Just went through this last winter. 1979 Endeavour 37' with at least 20 years delayed maintenence. Ripped out the entire headliner which was foam backed vinyl stapled to rotted plywood screwed to the deck! Installed furring strips with thickened epoxy, pink insulation board, then 4x8 bead board and then painted white. Love it!! Sooo much better than before. Check out our old blog to see more details and pictures. Viviansvoyage.com

[JPA Cate]

henklor,

This is Halifax, Nova Scotia, right? So, no stranger to extremely cold weather during winter?

I'd be really tempted to ask the local guys how they deal with it, with what's available locally, and frugally. Anytime you're using the boat, you're exhaling moisture (plus whatever happens from cooking), so you're right, you're going to need insulation, and what works in warmer climes may not work well for you. You may want to run insulation under the deck in the cabinet overheads, and down to the waterline, as well as the overhead.

Good luck with it.

Ann

[Rorzech]

Originally Posted by rbrentp

Get some boric acid, the powder for bugs and heat some water. Pour and stir till it won't dissolve in the water anymore. Let it cool. Sponge it on everywhere. It kills all the mold and fungus and spores. No smell. Then what you put in starts clean. Dis this to boat eight years ago and it still smells fresh. AIr movement is also a must.
Brent

What is " The Powder for Bugs " ??? Is it the boric acid you speak of ?

[henklor]

Originally Posted by GoneIsland

Just went through this last winter. 1979 Endeavour 37' with at least 20 years delayed maintenence. Ripped out the entire headliner which was foam backed vinyl stapled to rotted plywood screwed to the deck! Installed furring strips with thickened epoxy, pink insulation board, then 4x8 bead board and then painted white. Love it!! Sooo much better than before. Check out our old blog to see more details and pictures. Viviansvoyage.com

John,
That looks very nice and that was indeed the insulation I was looking at as well.
Having said that, I'm worried about the wood you used. The bead board is for home use; If there is a leak in this board, it will create mold.
But then again, it does look amazing. I guess you could put a layer of epoxy on the other side.
What did you use as a hull line (around the windows)

[henklor]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

henklor,

This is Halifax, Nova Scotia, right? So, no stranger to extremely cold weather during winter?

I'd be really tempted to ask the local guys how they deal with it, with what's available locally, and frugally. Anytime you're using the boat, you're exhaling moisture (plus whatever happens from cooking), so you're right, you're going to need insulation, and what works in warmer climes may not work well for you. You may want to run insulation under the deck in the cabinet overheads, and down to the waterline, as well as the overhead.

Good luck with it.

Ann

If I ask around here you get all different answers. In the end indeed it comes down to keeping the water out and ventilate. That why I'm not shrink wrapping my boat in the winter. It traps the moisture. Even with some ventilation holes it does keep to much condensation inside.