Internal refit

mrangry

mrangry

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I am currently carrying out a refit of a Moody 33 mk1 and have removed part of the galley structure and part of the saloon seating to facilitate repairing of sections of the main bulkhead. These bulkhead repairs are complete and I am now looking to reinstate the areas using plywood.

I am also having to replace most of the internal woodwork throughout, which is shot and basically looking for ideas from others who have carried this out before as how best to proceed.

Am I right in thinking there is no need to use marine ply for this and where am I best looking for materials (I'm in Glasgow) as I assume the B & Q stuff is rubbish?

I was thinking on using a veneer on exposed areas in view but not sure whether this is feasible due to possible costs involved (looked at Robbins!) and would a varnished plywood finish look naff. I am however thinking of using vinyl on the bulkheads.

I have had a search through old posts but just looking to others for some possible input in case I have not considered something that may look good, be durable and not ridiculously expensive.
 
Not sure how much I can assist, but would venture that at least marine ply will withstand water and damp which is more than I would trust straightforward plywood. A good timber merchant if there is one in Glasgow would be a starting point. Alternatively have you thought of acrylic sheeting - various colours and thickness available? Not sure how any of this works on price, but would not skimp too much at this stage and then have to re-do because the plywood has got damp and blown.

Good luck.
 
Hi mrangry,

As you say B&Q plywood is not the best but in saying that I bought some for a repair to my garage and the 9mm stuff and was not too bad. I also bought some 12 mm and it was rubbish. The 9 mm would have varnished up but it did have a big grain pattern. Biggest problem is dampness getting in the end and some of the sheets I looked at had voids.

Have you tried Express Timber Products in Paisley, they are at the back of Haldfords. I bought a lot of hardwood from them for trim and while it was not Honduras Mahogany, it did varnish up well as it had a close grain and a nice colour. They had some meranti which was not so good.

I looked at using veneer for my refit as the bulkheads in my boat were not up to being re-varnished but in the end I just painted them a light almond colour and used lots of varnished trim and it was an acceptable finish. However my wee boat did not justify the cost and effort. I also seemed to remember that the veneer was sold in quite narrow strips and although there was self adhesive types, the thought of faffing about with a long length of sticky stuff did not appeal. If you look at my album you can see what I mean about a light paint colour and varnished wood trim.

However, you have to keep in mind the resale value of your boat and perhaps a painted interior would depreciate its value.

I seem to recall that the Moody 33 had Formica bulkheads, perhaps that would be a possibility if it is in keeping with the rest of the boat.

Feel quite jealous of your refit, I would love to take on another rebuild project but not sure I would live long enough to see it finished :)

I see you are in Paisley, is the boat at ICC.

Regards

John
 
This is an old boat isn't it. Are you keeping her long term? hopefully. If so you have nothing to loose so be bold and ditch the varnished wood look and go for a clean white paint look with bold colours. Not sure? have a look at the French RM Yachts with Grey and White colour schemes or this little yacht:

http://www.charlotteharborsailing.com/sailboats/iroquois-30.html

iroquois3_zps6c65ee2d.jpg
 
Jcorstorphine said:
Hi mrangry,

As you say B&Q plywood is not the best but in saying that I bought some for a repair to my garage and the 9mm stuff and was not too bad. I also bought some 12 mm and it was rubbish. The 9 mm would have varnished up but it did have a big grain pattern. Biggest problem is dampness getting in the end and some of the sheets I looked at had voids.

Have you tried Express Timber Products in Paisley, they are at the back of Haldfords. I bought a lot of hardwood from them for trim and while it was not Honduras Mahogany, it did varnish up well as it had a close grain and a nice colour. They had some meranti which was not so good.

I looked at using veneer for my refit as the bulkheads in my boat were not up to being re-varnished but in the end I just painted them a light almond colour and used lots of varnished trim and it was an acceptable finish. However my wee boat did not justify the cost and effort. I also seemed to remember that the veneer was sold in quite narrow strips and although there was self adhesive types, the thought of faffing about with a long length of sticky stuff did not appeal. If you look at my album you can see what I mean about a light paint colour and varnished wood trim.

However, you have to keep in mind the resale value of your boat and perhaps a painted interior would depreciate its value.

I seem to recall that the Moody 33 had Formica bulkheads, perhaps that would be a possibility if it is in keeping with the rest of the boat.

Feel quite jealous of your refit, I would love to take on another rebuild project but not sure I would live long enough to see it finished :)

I see you are in Paisley, is the boat at ICC.

Regards

John
Click to expand...

Hey John no need to feel jealous, feel free to come down and get your hands dirty she is currently sitting in Kip Marina on the hard.
 
The "plain white paint" job looks so good. I've been in the OP's position for a while now and did wonder about "cheapskating" and just painting the old, tired, scratched, mis-matched mahogany ply.

Having seen the interior of that cat I shall go for the white look, definitely not cheap looking.
Has to be seriously kept clean though. But on another plus side, touching-up and small area refurbishment should be a doddle.

Thanks.

And good luck to the OP.
 
30 boat who posts here has refitted his Fulmar with wood trimmed, white painted bulkheads. I would go down that route as ply with decent veneers to finish bright are very expensive. Tastefully done with good mahogany trim looks very classy and makes the interior look bigger and brighter. From memory the 33 had a lot of fake teak ply which looks very dated and crude so you could also paint the bits you are not replacing to give a coordinated look.
 
Are you a member of the Moody Owners Association? If you are, put the same post on the forum there as one 33Mk1 owner I know has done a similar job and made it very nice indeed. If you are not a member you can still post on the section for potential Moody owners and I am sure he would respond. He has written lots of articles about the work he has done but you need to be a member to access them.
When the 33Mk1 was built most had formica fake teak in the saloon and it looks pretty awful. There must have been an option for real would though as that is what mine is and looks so much better. Bulkheads had a light coloured lining over most of the area and that is easily replaced to keep the interior bright. I did consider painting some of the woodwork in the saloon white but decided to stay with the original look in the end.
The heads are lined with a pale blue laminate which is very practical and I think looks OK. Mine is unmarked after all the years
 
Marine ply is very expensive due to the type of wood and the glue used. Both are designed to withstand high levels of moisture. So your best bet would be to have a chat with your local plywood wholesaler to see what they could suggest. It might be a hardwood or say a Finnish birch ply, but make sure the glue is at least a WPP standard (waterproof).

You mention repairing sections of the main bulkhead. Do remember that the main bulkhead is a structural part of the hull structure. Fixing these sections should be done using tightly fitted pieces of plywood, probably best set in using thickened epoxy to ensure complete adhesion along all joins.

Painting the internal woodwork should not affect the value of your boat, it might even improve it as not many people like the old formica wood effect. It should also make the cabin a lot lighter. I would not suggest using vinyl on the bulkheads unless your repaired sections show badly when painted, then use a foam backed vinyl as this will mask imperfections.

Best of luck.
 
simonfraser said:
basic plywood in a boat, poor economy imo.
one window leak / rainstorm / tipped over container and the warping starts, yuck.

spend the money on good quality ply.
Click to expand...

Depends on how you define "basic" and "quality".

WBP is waterproof and should be fine for a boat interior. True marine ply is intended for building boat hulls, ie constant immersion for years at a time. That's overkill for an interior, even one that doesn't remain 100% dry.

You do need a reliable supplier, as lots of wood seems to be sold nowadays which doesn't match the standard it claims. We've seen pictures on here of wood stamped with the BS number for marine ply, entirely delaminated after a few days in the rain.

Don't buy anything from B&Q and their ilk.

Pete
 
If you want to see just about the ultimate in yacht refits, some of which is guaranteed to give you ideas, check out Demonboy's Esper refit videos on Liveaboard. It is being done in Thailand, where teak planks seem to be cheaper than B&Q plywood, by remarkably skilled craftsmen wearing shorts and flip-flops. This boat is going to look fabulous.
 
In the great scheme of things...

mrangry said:
Am I right in thinking there is no need to use marine ply for this and where am I best looking for materials (I'm in Glasgow) as I assume the B & Q stuff is rubbish?

.
Click to expand...

...the difference is not so great, even if you amortise it over only 3 years. I know that everything does add up but the main input is your labour - even if you do not cost it.

One of the major differences between good marine ply and good exterior grade is the grain pattern, important if not being covered with paint. The quality of the veneers used in marine grade is superior to those that are used for exterior.

However, one other factor that I consider to be even more important to bear in mind is the thickness of the outer layer. I have seen ply faces that are literally 'paper-thin'; I don't mean 'cartridge paper' but closer to what we used to call 'onion skin' back in the days when we still wrote letters in longhand! One moment's inattention while sanding lightly and you'll find yourself looking at the second layer. cross-grain and all.

The bulkheads on my own boat (Wauquiez Centurion 32) are marine ply, light-coloured face that is just over 1,5mm thick (wood type unknown), with a transparent satin finish. They are 41 years old and are still as good as new. IMHO they look infinitely better than the Formica that I had on my previous Centaur. I would also keep away from foam-backed vinyl after my experiences with the Centaur and the infamous 'Westerly Droop.

At the end of the day it is your boat and your decision; however I would respectfully suggest that you give it some further thought. Replacing bulkheads is not something that you will be doing all that often.
 
Very few AWBs built since the early 80's used marine ply in the original construction. Water Proof Bonded uses roughly the same adhesives and surface veneers as 1088 marine ply (cheapo Chinese "1088" excepted), but internal laminates use cheaper softwoods and is also prone to voids. Save your money.
 
i refitted my front cabin last winter, we compleatly stripped it out and started again. i used basic ply
from the timber merchants, stained with a gel stain then varnished, if you put a coat of varnish on before you fit it in place
and make sure you cover the edges well you wont get any problems with water. the bits of trim used on theedges
of the ply were either teak or mahogany which gives it a nice finish. a couple of pictures for you to see belowrefurb 032.jpgrefurb 036.jpgrefurb 037.jpg
 
Some good advice and ideas for me to consider here, cheers.

Just to confirm that the bulkhead repairs have been completed using marine ply and properly bonded and finished. The only reason I was considering vinyl on the bulkhead is that it was on it when I bought the boat and looked okay.....ish?

I will take a trip down to my local timber merchant and have a look at exterior ply and compare the grain finish with that of the more expensive marine ply, although the finish in the pictures above looks like what I am hoping to achieve without the expensive use of glue on veneer sheets.
 
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