Westerly headlining probs - is removing and just painting an option?

[Marceline]

Hi - just wondering, we'd been looking at a couple of Westerlys and one in particular had the droop issues with headlining. Some of that had been removed too and just the bare fiberglass below.

From what I'd read around its a horrible job fixing new headlining onto it, and had also seen some examples of using wood panels.

But just wondering - is it even possible/bad idea to just removed the headlinings,clean it up, and paint the fiberglass white ? (Am guessing yes)

I know it woldn't look very nice and affect possible future resales, but we're hoping this next boat would be our boat for the next 20 years or so.

Everything else about the boats we liked - this was just the main issue

 

[jamie N]

I've no idea about the difficulty of redoing the headlining, but my GK24 is just painted GRP, and looks fine to me. If you simply do paint it, then don't like it and think that the original style of finish is how you want it to be, no loss as you've only spent a few £ on some paint from B&Q.

 

[PeterV]

Painting is certainly an option and as Jamie says, doesn’t prevent you redoing the headlinings later. Replacing the headlinings properly isn’t a particularly difficult diy job though. Some Westerlys need some sewn sections which complicates it a bit , others don’t. My GK 29 had lots of plywood panels which were very easy to remove, take home the strip and recover which made it an easy winter job.

 

[wallacebob]

Westerly owners assoc, well documented probs and solutions. Stretch carpet is often used to provide some insulation and aesthetics.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Hi - just wondering, we'd been looking at a couple of Westerlys and one in particular had the droop issues with headlining. Some of that had been removed too and just the bare fiberglass below.

From what I'd read around its a horrible job fixing new headlining onto it, and had also seen some examples of using wood panels.

But just wondering - is it even possible/bad idea to just removed the headlinings,clean it up, and paint the fiberglass white ? (Am guessing yes)

I know it woldn't look very nice and affect possible future resales, but we're hoping this next boat would be our boat for the next 20 years or so.

Everything else about the boats we liked - this was just the main issue

Which models of Westerly have you been looking at ? Several models have the vinyl on ply panels.

 

[Tranona]

There is a good article in this month's PBO on re-doing the forecabin of a Konsort. There are alternatives to PVC and this one used panels and slats.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I used some PVC tong and groove as used in soffits in the UK for all my cabin ceiling

Easy to be clean

It can be glued to panel or to the GRP wit PVC weld

 

[justanothersailboat]

The saloon ceiling is the relatively easy bit. The v berth can be rather trickier. Van liner might be a winner in the v berth even if not elsewhere.

The problem with the back of the glass is that it can be rather rough and uneven, and if you paint it, doing anything else with it gets trickier.

In my heads and hanging locker I stripped out old lining, gave the bare glass a light sand and a good clean with acetone, scraped polyester filler over the whole lot to fill it smooth, lightly sanded that to clear off the scraper lines, then flowcoated. It's not perfect but it looks a lot better than I could have managed with paint - and I am reasonably confident I could apply some other finish later.

 

[Supertramp]

A paint finish sounds easy but you still need to clean off all the old material, tidy the surface and fittings plus you risk a lot of condensation forming in cooler weather when sleeping aboard. Far better with some insulation. Ply panels are good, and carpet is good in berths/hull sides.

It's a messy and in places tricky job.

 

[Bouba]

Lots of small motorboats have bare or textured fiberglass or gelcoat for the walls and ceiling of the cabin

 

[justanothersailboat]

Some new, fairly large AWBs have gelcoat walls and ceiling! Bare fibreglass is a bit bleak.

 

[mrming]

You can buy pre-cut pieces of vinyl headlining for many Westerly models from Hawke House. That simplifies the job slightly as you then just have to apply it.

 

[ashtead]

There once was a chap operating out of Fareham (suggested by Trafalgar) who had a real business doing westerly centaur bow cabin vinyl refits. I m afraid I don’t recall name but I guess a visit to the WOA might reveal similar installers etc . Might save a lot of hassle long term.

 

[Egret]

Try fitting with Velcro then easy to remove for maintenance

 

[ducked]

The saloon ceiling is the relatively easy bit. The v berth can be rather trickier. Van liner might be a winner in the v berth even if not elsewhere.

The problem with the back of the glass is that it can be rather rough and uneven, and if you paint it, doing anything else with it gets trickier.

In my heads and hanging locker I stripped out old lining, gave the bare glass a light sawitnd and a good clean with acetone, scraped polyester filler over the whole lot to fill it smooth, lightly sanded that to clear off the scraper lines, then flowcoated. It's not perfect but it looks a lot better than I could have managed with paint - and I am reasonably confident I could apply some other finish later.

By "flowcoated" you mean polyester resin gelcoat, but with added wax so it'll cure outside a mould? An Internyet search finds this stuff

Topcoat Resin/Flowcoat - Resin Library

Sounds like a plan for my (amateur - fit out, I assume) Trident 24, which is mostly bare glass overhead. This clearly isn't just a Westerly issue.

Would be quite a lot of work for the whole interior but rendering the head compartment surface easily wiped-down seems a worthwhile mold-supressing goal, and once/if that was done then I could decide whether to take it any further.

Removable panels sound good but would take away some precious headroom, in short supply on a Trident 24

 

[Frank Holden]

Two reasons not to simply paint the f/glass.
1/ You plan to keep the boat for 20 years, do you really want to live with a daggy looking interior for all that time?
2/ You are reducing the - limited - insulation that the foam backed vinyl provides.

What model Westerly? Mine is a Sealord, head liner is foam backed vinyl glued to plywood panels, cabin sides were foam backed vinyl simply glued to the hull.
Had all but the fore cabin professionally done 25 years ago. I have long since forgotten the price

Since then I have increased the insulation by gluing 4mm EVA foam directly to the deckhead and then replacing the ply/vinyl panels. The EVA foam is cheap, just buy camping mats and trim to size.
Inside the lockers I have replaced the vinyl with 6mm EVA with the 'silver' face.

The fore cabin aka the 'Black Hole of Calcutta but Colder and Wetter'?
I had an upholsterer in NZ do most of that ten years ago. He did the ply panels but was disinclined to do the coachroof sides and aft bulkhead with vinyl and suggested 'carpet'. Was remarkably successful - no condensation at all even under extreme conditions.
Once again I did the locker insides and a few other bits with the 6mm silver backed EVA.

 

[Refueler]

I understand OP's question ... if you haven't replaced lining before - its a frightening job ...

I put it off year after year ... dreading the day I would have to .... thinking .. Paint ... Vinyl ... ply panels .... carpet then I plucked up the courage - bought 20m roll of Van Lining with 10 cans of Adhesive after watching a ton of YT vids on it.

WOW ... I actually had my forecabin finished in a day and years later - still looks superb ... feels nice and soft / comfortable to touch .. unlike the old cold vinyl.

All that reported scraping / grinding away of old adhesive etc was not done. I just removed all loose and really bad lumps .... used the old lining as template for the Van Lining ... sprayed - applied lining .. puilling stretching where needed ... blunt edge used to get it into the joints / areas round hatch etc.

I admit my main cabin is still to do .. but that is not because of 'fear' of the job - but so many other matters have taken precedent ... but it will be done as well.

 

[harvey38]

I understand OP's question ... if you haven't replaced lining before - its a frightening job ...

I put it off year after year ... dreading the day I would have to .... thinking .. Paint ... Vinyl ... ply panels .... carpet then I plucked up the courage - bought 20m roll of Van Lining with 10 cans of Adhesive after watching a ton of YT vids on it.

WOW ... I actually had my forecabin finished in a day and years later - still looks superb ... feels nice and soft / comfortable to touch .. unlike the old cold vinyl.

All that reported scraping / grinding away of old adhesive etc was not done. I just removed all loose and really bad lumps .... used the old lining as template for the Van Lining ... sprayed - applied lining .. puilling stretching where needed ... blunt edge used to get it into the joints / areas round hatch etc.

I admit my main cabin is still to do .. but that is not because of 'fear' of the job - but so many other matters have taken precedent ... but it will be done as well.

We did quite a lot of 'Van lining' on Tolerance and put it on the FB page, click the link in my signature if interested. As Refueler says, it requires little preparation, it is quick and the results are impressive.