Mouse Fur Replacement

[doke01]

Hi,

Looking to replace the mouse fur on the bulkheads and headliner. At 12 years old it's looking a bit dingy. I am thinking to cover the bulkheads and hull interior with 1/8 inch marine plywood with teak veneer (I saw a 27 that was built that way and it looked great) and the headliner using foam padded vinyl or using something like whisper tracks with closed foam backing and marine cloth (if I can find them). Do you have any suggestions on the best way to install the teak veneer plywood? Should I pull out the mouse fur and put in backing strips with the wood over top, or is there another way you recommend? What about putting closed foam behind the teak veneer plywood?

I pulled the headliner panels in the forward berth and noticed how flat and relatively smooth the fiberglass is. Is there any reason not to put the vinyl headliner straight up on the underlying fiberglass? I was thinking it might save some weight.

Any idea where I can get whisper tracks, or something similar? I really like the idea of marine cloth over closed foam. I also think it would help insulate the boat better.

Doug

 

[Brian B]

Interesting project Doug, I for one hate the mouse fur on my 25SC. The V-Berth is mouse fur and the cabin bulkheads are vinyl/foam. I have covered some of the V-Berth with vinyl. Sailrite sells a material similar to the fur that stretches to ease replacement, they have a video showing how it is done. Here's an interesting video.
https://www.sailrite.com/How-to-Install ... Foam-Video
https://www.sailrite.com/Fabrics/Marine ... ity&page=2
The 3m adhesive they use can be found at auto supply stores and marine vinyl is sold at some fabric stores, might be cheaper.

Keep us posted on the project with pics if possible.

 

[knotflying]

I have no experience installing wood panel in a boat, but having been in the construction trades, I would strategically glue strips ( furring) of thin wood in various spaces. I would use 5200 to adhere them. I would infill between the strips with a thin insulating foam. This will create a thermal break and prevent condensation when heating on cold days. Once you have everything in place I would glue and brad nail the panels in place. If you are using wood panel I imagine making a template for each piece. I see lots of cutting and fitting in your future!

 

[doke01]

Thanks for your thoughts. I'm still deciding the right direction, but am looking to make some pretty dramatic changes, at least in my mind. Anyone else who may have installed veneered plywood on the hull interior, would love to hear how you did it and the results. I'm interested in how the factory does this too on the newer models.

Doug

 

[NorthernFocus]

Some(many) years back I lined the hull of a sailboat. In traditional boat construction it's called installing a ceiling(even though it's against the hull). As Brian B described I used 5200 to attach furring strips to the hull/cabin sides. But rather than plywood veneer paneling I used 1/4in thick by 2in wide strips of teak. The strips make fitting to irregular shapes easier than cutting large pieces of plywood. The strips can be installed either horizontally or vertically as desired. Closed cell insulating foam can be used to line the hull/cabin sides under the strips. Simply glue it in place. Obviously any wood can be used rather than teak. Simply stain and/or varnish based on taste and the amount of work desired.

Another option to consider which is very durable, easy to clean, and relatively inexpensive, is to use formica rather than paneling. Everything else about the install can be done the same. I used the teak strips for the hull ceiling and off-white formica for overhead.

 

[Red Raven]

Doug,

This may sound crazy but I have used hook and loop (Velcro) to attach lightweight items to the mouse fur. You can buy hook and loop in wide strips to get a better attachment. No messy adhesives or drilling into fiberglass. For lightweight stuff like insulating foam and 1/4” ply it will stay there forever. The hook and loop (use the hook side only against the mouse fur) can be purchased with sticky back to adhere to the paneling or foam insulation. I would give it a try before using something more permanent.

Curt

 

[NorthernFocus]

Doug,

This may sound crazy but I have used hook and loop (Velcro) to attach lightweight items to the mouse fur. You can buy hook and loop in wide strips to get a better attachment. No messy adhesives or drilling into fiberglass. For lightweight stuff like insulating foam and 1/4” ply it will stay there forever. The hook and loop (use the hook side only against the mouse fur) can be purchased with sticky back to adhere to the paneling or foam insulation. I would give it a try before using something more permanent.

As crazy as it sounds at first that's actually not a bad idea. May be challenging on curved surfaces.