Updating interior of older catamaran

[J0hn B0y]

First, should a thread about this subject already exist, please excuse my inability to locate said thread. As a newbie here I recognize redundancy is frowned upon so at the risk of being reprimanded I will proceed with my questions.
I want to upgrade the interior of an older catamaran. The original carpet remains glued to the interior of the hulls and I'd like to update upgrade both the color and finish in those spaces. There has been some difference of opinion between the Admiral and myself as to what and how to make these changes. I'm hoping the vast experience and knowledge the members of this forum represent will be shared with some brilliant suggestions and methods for accomplishing this project. Thanks for any and all input.

I don't have a signature yet.

I don't have a catchy quote for this space, YET!

[valhalla360]

So what's the question? What is the boat model? What upgrades do you want to do?

[SV Kittiwake]

Hi John,

We're just doing this on our catamaran, a Heavenly Twins. The previous owner had glued carpet everywhere to act as a kind of wall covering. We've stripped it off, and are cutting out headlining (a kind of vinyl with a foam backing) using the bits of carpet as a template.

One thing to note is that when you're removing carpet from the fibreglass, you'll probably have to sand or wire brush the glue off - be careful of the glass fibres, you'll want to be well protected with PPE or you'll get it all over yourself.

Cheers

SV Kittiwake

[J0hn B0y]

Apparently I wasn't clear in my original post. The boat is an early 90's FP. The walls in the hulls are covered in a gray carpet which I'd like to remove and replace. I've considered new carpet, paint, bed liner for durability and other finishes brought up by the Admiral (my wife). Reason for change is to brighten interior spaces with lighter color and hopefully have surfaces that can be cleaned. The age of the current /original application causes me concern about it surviving a cleaning as some of it is coming unglued while other areas appear to have staining bleeding through from what I believe was the glue used to adhere the finish to the hull.

[valhalla360]

Nothing too complicated just lots of work to scrape the glue off.

Not end of the world issues, but keep in mind, the carpet likely deadened sounds a fair bit and also provided a bit of insulation.

[Pete7]

There are some pictures of a Hirondelle on the net were someone did a brilliant internal refit. Out went the old furnishings. The walls and all old dark woodwork painted in white to a high standard. Cushions and seats added in a bright yellow fabric. The effect was to completely brighten up an old dated interior to somewhere you would want to sit.

If you are looking for modern clean colours you could do worse than view the RM Range of yachts. The Frenchies seen very good at this sort of stuff, but being English I could never admit to this you understand.

http://www.rm-yachts.com/en/rm-970

[Cadence]

Lots of work scraping and keep a shop vac. close at hand. I can not think af a suggested replacement off hand. Just keep in mind the carpet absorbed a bunch of sound.

[CHRIS V CLEMENT]

Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans recently refurbished the interior of a 45' trawler.
Bright white corrugated plastic panels approximately 6mm thick were used. Plastic can be easily bent, and can be cut to size with heavy scissors. Before installing the panels, 6mm x 24mmx 48mm long teak blocks were glued to the interior surface of the fiberglass to create an airspace between the inner hull and the panels. These teak blocks were also used to attach a varnished continuous 6mm x 24mm teak batten to hold the corrugated plastic in place. Battens were held in place with 8mm stainless steel sheet metal screws with countersunk finishing washers. The improvement in appearance is breathtaking. The panels are easy to remove for wiring, or to look for leaks.

[Rapanui]

We had an 1989 FP Maldives with the carpet type side and headlining throughout with the lining unstuck in places and the brown bleed through from the adhesive as you descrbe. One thing that amazed us was how much light this type of material absorbed even though it was light grey. It was night and day when we replaced it with foam backed vinyl.
The contact adhesive had broken down and after stripping the old material you have to remove the hard glue - a filthy job. To do it well you also have to remove trims round hatches, portlights, bits of furniture and so on.
Don't underestimate the amount of work to redo this. In the end I got a guy who does this professionally, Eddie Wraxhall 07968 199934, based in the Southwest but he travels. The job was immaculate but its not cheap. Thats one of the few times you regret having a boat with 4 cabins and a saloon!

[KiminAK]

Originally Posted by CHRIS V CLEMENT

Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans recently refurbished the interior of a 45' trawler.
Bright white corrugated plastic panels approximately 6mm thick were used. Plastic can be easily bent, and can be cut to size with heavy scissors. Before installing the panels, 6mm x 24mmx 48mm long teak blocks were glued to the interior surface of the fiberglass to create an airspace between the inner hull and the panels. These teak blocks were also used to attach a varnished continuous 6mm x 24mm teak batten to hold the corrugated plastic in place. Battens were held in place with 8mm stainless steel sheet metal screws with countersunk finishing washers. The improvement in appearance is breathtaking. The panels are easy to remove for wiring, or to look for leaks.

Do you have a picture of this?

[Cadence]

A heat gun used sparingly might help getting rid if he old adhesive?

[KiminAK]

I have no experience in this but I have been looking at older cats too, and thinking about how to deal with some of these problems.

I did see an older PDQ that the owner had simply taken the carpet off the walls, and painted it a mat white. Gouges and all, and it didn't look as bad as I would have thought.

So here's some ideas, maybe good ideas, maybe bad ideas, I haven't tried any of them yet.

Vinyl wallpaper: is very tough, washable, substrate would have to be pretty good, gouges or big lumps are going to show up under wallpaper. The texture in the wallpaper would hide small problems.



This is just a texture and then can be painted however you like.

What about cork??? Here's a boat that they redid the interior, floors, walls, ceilings in cork! A bit of overkill for me, but not a bad idea for walls. Cork can be painted too. It will go around corners but doesn't have any stretch, the way the carpet did. It would hide some pretty major lumps and gouges.




I ran across these, I'm not sure how much bend they have, so not sure if they would work or not. Plastic panels intended to be used as a kitchen backsplash.

[Rapanui]

Given the compound curves of old Fountaine Pajots of 90s era, you need to use a material that is capable of covering bends in 2 planes, so it needs to be elastic to some degree.
Foam backed viny worked for us but is hard to make a neat job of, there are lots of tricks involved in using this successfully. In light colours it is nice and bright and is wipe cleanable.
Sidelining carpet is easier to use and there is better knowledge now about compatible contact adhesives so that the glue does not fail or leach through. It is better at preventing condensation and consequent mold damage. But not wipe cleanable, but you can vacuum it!
Things like cork really belong back in the 60s in my view, they make the spaces dark more akin to a coffin.
Given the shape of FP hulls, hard materials that bend in one plane only would be hard and long exacting work to make look decent. There would be too many places where you just could not use them and have to use something else anyway. Maybe the saloon deckhead would be suitable as a wow feature.
Another UK contact is Alan Dring, Hawhouse Marine About Us
who supplies most lining materials and advice on options.

[Deltasailor]

Foam backed vinyl has been used for many years in Westerly Bennies Jeanneau etc. After a few years (10 or so) The UV. wrecks the foam backing and it falls off causing the vinyl to fall of the GRP.
The only way is to scrape all the remaining foam and adhesive off! No point in trying to re glue it, it will fall off again! A filthy job especially in a hot cabin. Re glue new F/B vinyl with contact adhesive. Try to get the water based contact adhesive as the fumes from the spirit based contact adhesive will knock your head off and is very flammable.
Do it with the foam backed vinyl the pros use and you'll get a proper finish.

[J0hn B0y]

Thanks and I totally understand your reservations about acknowledging the success of the French. :-)