catalac

[Talbot]

Nat, there are various approaches to replacing the headlining. The best is to divide your roof into easily handled shapes (e.g. 2ft x 2ft) created by pieces of 3mm plywood screwed to the deckhead. Remove the shapes and cover the individual tiles with the covering of your choice, then screw back up. This enables the items under the headlining to be accessed when required.

I decided that this was not feasible in my 9m as I have a long back, and needed all the headroom I could get when seated in the saloon. I therefore decided that I would have to cover the complete area just in glued on material.

I do not like the standard vinyl + foam headlinings.

I decided to use felt backed carpet. This would provide better insulation and a nice finish. Plus the felt would last much longer than foam.

I carefully removed the old headlining so that I could use it as a cutting guide.

I removed the horrible old brittle foam, and as much of the old glue as possible. I tried to get back to bare GRP and achieved at least 90%.

I researched the right glue to use. I was concerned that most contact adhesive would have too low a melt point, and on a hot day the lining would droop and all the effort wasted. I eventually purchased a very expensive car headlining glue suitable for use anywhere in the world. Beware here, the higher the melt point, the more expensive the glue. the solvents in it if applied too thickly can also attack the bond between the felt and the carpet.

I then employed a carpet fitter and his chum to do the actual cutting and fitting (good move this one)

Most expensive part was the glue!!!!

I saved much more than 50% of the cost of a professional doing all the work, by doing the preparation myself.

I removed all the windows in order to ease the problem of the fit, and to ensure ventilation throughout the boat. This enabled me to re-seal all the windows.

This is what it looks like



Further thoughts on Catalac headlining Your Heading Goes Here

[Tropic Cat]

I've modified the standard headliner by splitting it at the seams above the cabin windows. I epoxied velco to the edges and put velcro on the cabin roof. It zips up and comes down as needed. I covered the new seem with a wooden batten, It's invisible.

[rwhit323]

I did something very similar. I used the thin sheets of vinyl (for bathroom walls in Lowes) and glued/screwed to the cabin roof then covered with battens. Came our fairly nice and now if I need to romeve a section to work I just have to remove that section.

[ssullivan]

Did you guys all have the foam insulation behind the headliner on the non-vertical parts of the cabin?

[Talbot]

9m only has headliner on the deckhead, and port and stbd bulkheads by the windows. (behind the curtains) This headliner in the original is a vinyl with about 3mm of foam.

[rwhit323]

I stopped my headliner just as it turns down on the port and stbd sides and trimmed with a batten. On the sides I cleaned all of the old foam and glue off, then painted. Turned out pretty nice. Then put the same headliner with batten trim above the starboard berth and port galley. Same idea forward in the forward berth. I'm just finishing the project so I'll see if I can get some pictures.

[Tropic Cat]

Sean, mine has the foam, or rather what's left of the foam. As I was working with it there was a real mess as much of the foam had disintergrated. I had to bring my large wet/dry vac down to the boat and clean up the mess.

[Talbot]

removal of brittle foam is always going to be a problem.

If you are considering a headlining replacement and have foam that is getting brittle and has the droops, I have one VERY STRONG RECOMENDATION.

Clear your boat of all your bits and pieces first.

The pieces of foam go everywhere and cleaning up is so much easier if you have removed all the stuff first.

Glue removal is another problem.

There is a company that sells the headling material in Gosport UK, and they have a special flap wheel that fits to a drill and is designed for glue removal. However it is quite expensive, and when I tried it, it was not much better at the removal than the sytem I used, and unless you have a right angle drill, it is much more tiring to use.

I have a small (4.5") electric grinder that has variable speed settings. I fitted a 4" cup wire wheel that has brass wire. - looks like (but bigger) :



Running this at something between polishing and sanding speeds ((about 10-20% of a normal grinder's speed) flicked the glue off without melting it!

If you ran too fast, or tried to do too much at once, you melted the glue (not a good idea). If you tried to run the grinder too fast, you started to grind the GRP.

Biggest problem then was the clean up afterwards!!!

When I had finished and done the first level clean, I washed over the whole area with a cloth damp with acetone.
A final wipe over with 60 grit sandpaper to provide a key, and a wash with clean water and you are ready for the fit of new headlining.

[thims]

Nat:
You may want to check this out. Not the twin diesel version but a nice boat at a nice price.

1983 CATALAC CATAMARANS Catalac 30 For Sale in Key Largo, FL $19,950.00

1983 Catalac catamarans Catalac 30 for sale in Key Largo, FL: Catamaran (sail) - SailboatTraderOnline.com

[rwhit323]

I have to concur, that is a pretty nice deal if the boat is in half-way descent shape.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by thims

Nat:
You may want to check this out. Not the twin diesel version but a nice boat at a nice price.

1983 CATALAC CATAMARANS Catalac 30 For Sale in Key Largo, FL $19,950.00

1983 Catalac catamarans Catalac 30 for sale in Key Largo, FL: Catamaran (sail) - SailboatTraderOnline.com

I know this boat! ha ha

Small Catalac world.

This boat is moored right off 2 Hulls/Catamaran Company office in Key Largo. It's not on their docks, but just after you leave the little nook in the mangroves they have.

The boat appears to be in rough cosmetic shape. It might be fine, structurally though. Certainly worth a look.

I remember leaving Key Largo with my new Catalac 10M (bought 1/8 mile from this one) and noticing it. We were like, "oh look! a catamaran!" and then we realized it was a Catalac (I was new to Catalacs).

[Talbot]

With a build date of 1983, that will be one of the last ones built.

Even if the interior is a mess, the price allows a replacement headlining, replacement furnishings and instruments.

From the looks you will need to replace the acrylic windows on the coachroof.

Thus the biggest query is the engine. But even if you have to replace that with a new 4 stroke 30 hp, the final cost is going to be well below the cost of an equivalent 9m of its age.

If I lived anywhere near, that boat would be sold!

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by Talbot

If I lived anywhere near, that boat would be sold!

Hmmm...no VAT on a boat of that age, right?

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by rickm505

Hmmm...no VAT on a boat of that age, right?

Unfortunately there is!

VAT laws are complex, if the boat had been owned in UK and taken to FL then that owner would have maintained the VAT status under the current rules. However, if the sale transaction was made outside EU, then VAT would have been due. The French islands in West Indies are sufficient to be EU territory for this!

The bigger cost would be the $20,000 for transport to UK!

[Little Otter]

If it made it over here why don't you sail it back yourself, if i get my boat out of country thats what i'm going to do.