Tarting up the salon ceiling?

[Steadman Uhlich]

Google image search for "gypsy caravan interiors"

Some have interiors similar to wood boats. Some have elaborate designs with patterns on the overhead. I enjoyed seeing many, with their colorful textiles, wood carvings, details, and patterned and decorated surfaces.

[Sailorbob8599]

Originally Posted by msrcal36

By way of definitions the underside of the coach roof is referred to as the overhead. The ceiling in a yacht refers to the
covering (often wood battans) that cover the interior sides of the hull.

Hey there, thanks for making this point. I've had so many people tell me I'm wrong when I refer to the yellow cedar t&g covering the inside of the hull as the "ceiling", and above covering as the "overhead" . . . Maybe some of the longtime boaters who correct me will see this and realise I am using correct terminology.
Note: Is the word "battans" a typo error for battens? Or is this another new word I need to use?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Sailorbob8599

Hey there, thanks for making this point. I've had so many people tell me I'm wrong when I refer to the yellow cedar t&g covering the inside of the hull as the "ceiling", and above covering as the "overhead" . . . Maybe some of the longtime boaters who correct me will see this and realise I am using correct terminology.
Note: Is the word "battans" a typo error for battens? Or is this another new word I need to use?

I don't think anyone will get upset over a little nomenclature.

[Terra Nova]

The headliner can serve more than one function. It can create a dead air space below the deck to insulate the cabin or to hide and protect crew from wiring and backing plates/fasteners used to mount deck hardware. Better if it can be removed easily. Covering with padded vinyl is cheap and helps deaden sound.

One of the most successful headliners I've installed was on a Mapleleaf 50. It consisted of fairly large panels of matte white Formica'd 1/4" birch plywood, mounted to furring strips; the butt joints and borders covered by thin teak moldings fastened with bronze flathead wood screws, set flush and left exposed for service. Insulation applied to backs left all deck hardware fasteners easily accessible.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by gamayun

I'm curious who the hell was in charge of designing headliners?!?! They're completely dysfunctional and useless as far as I can tell. I'm thinking of pulling all my headliner off so I can access the deck bolts, then paint the "ceiling" white so it just kinda passes for respectable.

I have to agree. They sag. They hide important wiring. They hide important backing plates. And if you get a leak, the headliner can divert it right across the boat making it impossible to find the source of the leak.

+1 for just paint it white and let the owner decorate.

On my C&C I finally got tired of looking at the holes, marks and cracks on the headliner...so I fixed it all with white sail tape. Looked way better, and lasted a long time.

[pwilletts]

Well what do you know..actually got some nice suggestions out of this after all...

[Captndave1]

photo of wainscotting previously mentioned

[Skuzzlebutt]

I recently acquired my Catalina 30. Overhead, and 'ceiling' were the standard Catalina fiberglass, shiny and looking like crap, as though for the past 50 years or so it had been used as a cigar room for politicians.

A quick scarring with sandpaper, and a coat of high gloss deck off-white deck paint made such a difference that I quickly discarded all previous thoughts of some fancy liner. A Cat 30 isn't all that big, and 'decor' would probably make it look even smaller.

I even hit all those bolts with the same paint, so they blend in and are hardly detracting. Nice to have easy access to them for the occasional water droplets during heavy rain!

Liked the effect so much that I did the 'ceilings', or sidewalls as I prefer to call them, with the same deck paint. A set of LED strips running literally bow to stern brightens the entire interior after dusk, although I might try to hide them better to avoid the 'Las Vegas' effect.

[JibGirl]

We agonized over this on the S2 refurb. I really wanted to avoid the carpet, but wasn't sure we'd do a good job on the vinyl/worried about losing access with panelling and also weight issues (we race) so in the end we went with headliner carpet. It's... OK.

A friend just bought an S2 where they'd ripped it all out, bondo'ed the unfinished fibreglass to make it smoother and painted. It looks nice and shiny, but I wonder about condensation?

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by Skuzzlebutt

...I even hit all those bolts with the same paint...

Ugh! This is not accepted practice. Looks ugly as hell. And makes it hard to unscrew the fasteners.

[duefocena]

3'x8' Luan ( Mahogany ) door skins, varnished and attached to 1/2"x2" battens with industrial Velcro. Epoxy the battens to the bare glass overhead. Easy to remove, revarnish, wipe mung off of and easy to get to your deck bolts, electrical etc.

[Celestialsailor]

Hey Ese`...How bout dat nice lime green imitation 3" fur. The chicks luv it.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Captndave1

photo of wainscotting previously mentioned

This is beautiful but how easy is it to remove to get to the deck fittings? This is my dilemma right now.

[anacapaisland42]

Go back to interior design basics.
Look at small room articles to enlarge apparent size of cabin

Has to be light colour, white is best
Break it up with wood battens
Battens also hold headliner nice and taught
Solid wood, especially dark colour, not great.
Look at integrating lighting

Bill

Originally Posted by pwilletts

I just visited a Catalina 38 and noticed that the ceiling in the salon was a vast expanse of white fiber glass, which seemed very stark in an otherwise nice interior....I have seen Hunters that have some sort of headliner which sagged and did not seem durable....any suggestions as to improving the general ambiance of the ceiling???

[Paul J. Nolan]

Hard to believe (or is it?) that it was not until the 13th and 14th responses that anyone pointed out the egregious and embarrassing gaffes in the original post.

Some other irritants:

"Flying a spinnaker." Sails are not "flown." Coats and burgees are flown. Sails are set and carried.

"Flybridge." It is a flying bridge.

"King tides" There are no King tides. There are spring tides, however.

Please forgive my irritability. I'll feel better if Clemson kicks Alabama's, um, mule!

Paul