Interior Cabin ceiling coverings

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Steve115

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The covering on the cabin ceiling for my Westerly is now starting to fall down. Looking for some advice on how to replace (e.g. what glue to use, Where to get some new covering etc). The previous coverings seemed to also have foam attached. Does anyone know if these come together or sold separately. The old covering has not torn and looks like it may be possible to re-stick back up but not sure if this is the best option to go??
Thoughts?
 
Hawke House Marine (www.hawkehouse.com) can supply all you need, they specialise in headlinings etc for Westerlys. It is (just) possible to re-fit the old vinyl over new foam but it's a very exacting and fiddly business. I re-fitted my old vinyl over Hawke House's 6mm closed-cell foam because I couldn't buy new vinyl to match my old colour scheme. It was very difficult to get the screw-holes to line-up through 3 separate layers (ply, foam & vinyl). Better to re-do complete with new foam-backed vinyl. Good Luck
 
This is a regular topic on this forum indeed it was on here very recently. Hawke House is always mentioned. They are very helpful.

A search or two should find loads to read. Because HH are always mentioned a search for them will probably find most of what has been said.

You find find it better to use Google by searching for YBW + Hawke House as the internal seach engine is pretty poor.
 
Hawke House Marine are sure to have a headlining kit for a Centaur. If you decide to make up your own use contact adhesive on the bare GRP and a contact adhesive spray on the foam backing of the vinyl. If you're sticking headlining to plywood panels then PVA adhesive will do the trick with less danger to your lungs.

Usually the worse bit is removing the remnants of the old foam. Use a good face mask and a wire brush and scraper. It's hard work. If you discover a good method please let us all know.

Make sure the boat is well ventilated and that you have a mask that's suitable for purpose when using contact adhesive. All this and loads more info available in the Hawke House instruction booklet.
 
Join the club! Most westerly owners are already in it.

There was a good article in PBO earlier this year showing how to do it. You must remove EVERY scrap of the old foam. It is possible to re-use the vinyl, but may be a false economy. What you have to do is stick new foam (which I got from a foam shop that sells the stuff for upholstry) to the ceiling and then stick the vinyl to the foam. The foam should be 6mm thick. You must also remove all the old glue from the ceiling. The article advises using an angle grinder. I tried a wire brush in a drill but I did not manage to remove it properly and the whole lot is down again!

The glue used should be an impact type like Evostick. I used spray-on stuff bought from the upholsterers but have been told it is better to use brush-on stuff.

Whether to do the job at all is questionable. There are considerable health and safety risks in the use of the adhesive and I have also been advised that many Westerly owners resort to replacing the lining with rigid panels, screwed into place.

In adition to Hawkehouse, I found Trafalgar Marine at Fareham very helpful. The propietors were both involved with Westerly Marine. Their web site is at
http://www.westerly-yachts.co.uk/
(I really must practice making links clickable.)

The sagging lining is annoying, but it is only cosmetic. Do not let it spoil your enjoyment of a great boat.
 
One thing I found was that the slightly shiny closed cell foam paint rollers used for gloss paint do not stick very well to the contact adhesive, so a small roller could be used in place of a brush to place the contact adhesive on the fibreglass. In this way you can quickly spread the glue without getting a clogged brush and your gloves stuck to the brush ...
This with the Hawke House spray glue on the head lining itself.

The decomposed old headlining can also be somewhat toxic so you need a chemical mask for that as well. If you use something simpler expect to feel unwell.
 
Re removing the remains of the glue and foam.
You may have success with an inexpensive window scraper tool if you use a pairing action rather than jabbing at the surface,ie push the blade edge forward but sideways as well when pressed against the surface.
Methylated spirit will soften the glue and foam but you will still need to scrape.
 
As others have said, welcome to the club! It is a very nasty and unpleasant job - masks are essential, both for removing and re-applying. Roger Nantais 01202 849339/07970 440794 (an ex Westerly employee) can do the job or provide you with the appropriate linings cut and stichted to approx size. I have been down your route and would now willingly pay to have it done. If you want to pm me with your phone no I'll pass on a few tips.
 
Roger Nantais (an Westerly employee) can do the job or supply the appropriate section stiched and cut to approx size. Having been down your route I would willingly pay to have done! PM me with your phone no. if want further advice or tips.
 
I agree with the recomendation for Roger Nantais. He did an excellent job on mine, turned up when he said he would, took exactly the length of time he said he would, charged what he said he would and cleaned up etc. In fact I didn't actually meet him I just sent him the keys and then saw the final result.
As he works primarily on Westerlys he was able to give me a quote without even seeing the boat. He also travels the world doing this - well Europe at least and after doing mine was off to do one in Greece followed by another in Scotland.
Don't underestimate the cost £ lowthousands not £hundreds for a complete job on a 32 footer and the work you will need to do. I removed all fittings and windows (which needed refurbishing anyway)
One tip - try and get as much as possible put on "boards" on the horizontal surfaces. Such boards can then easily be re-done by an amatuer (or indeed you can do the initial replacment quite easily at home with the boards, but only take them off one at a time!!), it's the bits that are stuck directly to the hull that are very diifficult, but apparently much easier with carpet !
Regards
 
Further to what I said earlier, make sure you cover everything up well before you start removing the black perished foam, and lay cardboard on the cockpit sole and seats. Lay aside a spare pair of shoes in the cockpit to change into. The foam that comes off is a mixture of dusty stuff (hence the advice to use a mask) and larger bits that become tarry it you stand on them, get on your feet, and can be tramped in everywhere. If this happens, the only thing we (well my wife really) found would take the horrid black streaks off was methylated spirits.
 
Self adhesive thin carpet (from Hawke House Marine, for instance) is good, and very easy, for side lining but I think it would look odd overhead. All the efforts I've seen with cork look a bit tacky. I found that the paint that DIY shops sell for covering cracked ceilings works as a fairly effective anti-condensation surface for inaccessible areas where headlining would be difficult to install.
 
Many thanks to all for the valuable feedback. The number of responses was amazing. Looks like I have some work to do starting with removing the old vinyl and adhesive. I am starting to question whether its worth putting it back again and perhaps might be better off with some wood paneling.

Has anyone else done this or is the recommendation to go back to vinyl/foam with adhesive.

Once again many thanks for all the responses
 
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