Wood trim in the cabin

[hobnob]

I just recently acquired a 1978 CP16 with a cabin that can only be described as the epitome of spartan.  I'd like to put in some wood trim panels and such, but I'm not sure how one is supposed to go about attaching it.  The first thing that comes to mind is to epoxy it to the walls/bulkheads, but then what if it needs replacement or something?  What about glueing in place some furring strips (of the appropriate wood, of course) and screwing the panels to that?

On a similar note, how do you go about getting the wood to fit a curved surface, like the area where the portlights are?

Thanks in advance!

[davestlouis]

I was hoping someone would respond with some suggestions...my cabin could use some pretty-ing up as well.

[spaul]

I sure understand your desire to spiff up the cabin. I'm not that familiar with a 16 but I am with several boats under 22'. I personally think simpler is better here. I suggest glueing some "silk" fabric to the sides or painting to brighten things up. I'd go easy on wood trim, I think a little bit in the right places might go a long way.
I too would likely glue on some kind of furring strip or even use velcro believe it or not. Lights will brighten things up and there are miriads of new led lights that are plenty bright and draw almost no current.
The "silk" fabric I mentioned above is similar to indoor outdoor carpet but without a thick rubber backing. This can be glued on with contact cement and can be found in fabric stores and certainly on the web by searching for boat fabrics and the like.
I think this sounds like a Winter think tank project so you can get it right.
I wish you well in this project, let us know or post some pics of what it looks like now and let the crowd imaginate on that a bit.

Steve Paul
cp27/2
IM PAUL SIVE

[mgoller]

Ok,
This isn't hard at all except for cutting the patterns carefully.  You can get 1/8" plywood, check on line or even a good hardware.  The trick will be getting the right grain.  If you want Teak, you're talking specialty.  Mahogany ply in 1/8" is easy.  Its called Luan and used for floor underlayment.  It will bend all day around the curves you're looking at.
Look in my "Owner's Gallery" at photo 18-53.  The piece at the fore end of the cabin is held in by the two side pieces butting up tight to the sides.
The side pieces are basically held in by the port lights with their four screws.  Up top the wood is trimmed with a headliner trim (there is a name for this, I can't remember).  On the bottom edges the wood is trimmed with 3/4" x 1/8" wood battens (screen moulding). 
At a few strategic points along the bottom edges where you want to pull the wood in to the curve you can Liquid Nail some 1X 2 pine to the underside of the deck.  Jam these strips with a wood prop until the Liquid Nails is set. 
With the port lights out and the pieces trial fit in place you can start. 
Once the wood is fitting perfect put your finish on all the wood.
Put in the fore piece first using a little adhesive like Liquid Nails.  (you can tear it off later if you don't like it - don't worry)  Now start your side piece, putting in the porthole lights.
Now you can - using a small staple gun nail in the plywood to these supports.  Don't use more than two backing supports per run or you'll pucker.
Then attach the trim battens with glue and a few small staples.
A pneumatic staple gun will make this a snap, but there is also a nice electric staple gun for a few bucks that you'll use around the house forever.
Hopefully someone can come up with the term for the headliner trim.  Its a vinyl/fabric covered trim.
I think this addition looks great.
Many compacs have a painted bead board cabin top which I think is fine but you could use a marine headliner fabric.
Check out Gary's Upholstery shop for marine fabrics.

[hobnob]

Wow, that's crazy that I got a reply from you since it was the pictures of your boat that was providing my inspiration in the first place!
Thanks for the information.  For some reason I was so completely hung up on teak that I didn't even think about luaun; and I used to sell the stuff!  So you're saying that Liquid Nails will come off if necessary?
A couple more questions for you.  In the bow you've got a bulkhead - what's on the other side of that and did you design it with some kind of access through it?  And somewhere along the line one or more of the previous owners of my boat removed and lost two of the portlight trim rings; do you or anyone else know where I can get replacements?
In the pictures you've got posted, the cabin roof looks like what we used to call malopi (sp?) beaded paneling.
Any chance I could get you or someone to post some detail pictures of your rigging?  I'm relatively new to this whole thing (this is my first boat) and the rigging on this boat seems a mess.  There's nothing even resembling outhaul rigging on the main; the topping lift looks like a piece of twine with a Home Depot snap-hook on the end and there's some weird metal strap bolted to the end of the boom but it doesn't look like it really belongs there.
Thanks!

[mgoller]

Thanks for the flattery.  If I can inspire that makes me feel pretty good.  Check out this website for the Hidem vinyl headliner trim:
http://www.garysupholstery.com/images/hidemcolors.jpg
gary's also sells hull liner and headliner.
I saw at Home depot some real wood bead board plywood.  I don't think it would look good because it is 3/8".  You might think about some head liner and or hull liner as the 16/II had a nice marine fabric hull liner.

Luaun is going to be a lot darker than teak.  You could experiment with birch ply and different stains.  Originally the trim was teak and the compression post was mahogany. 

I can assure you that liquid nails will pop off cleanly.  How do I know?  I attached my shelves to supports that were liquid nailed to the underside of the deck.  I overloaded the shelves and popped one support off.  It had attached itself pretty good but not down into the heart of the fiberglass.  It makes a great surface adhesive for your trim.  If you do the trim right you'll never pull it off to find out how well liquid nails comes off.  You'll love the trim.

That bulkhead was stock.  It is a 1/2" plywood chain locker screwed into light support blocks again glued to the hull sides and cbin sole.  It provides about 20" of room for battery and rode.  You could eyeball this bulkhead from the photo, do a design build and be quite happy.

This bulkhead also serves as a mounting for the electrical switches and fuses.  I don't like this location in the 16.  I think you can do better locating the switches nearer the campanionway.

My boats are not rigged right now.  The outhaul is a 1/4" line tied to the grommet at the end of the mainsail and through a stainless stirrup at the end of the mast.  Pull it tight and tie with four reef knots.

I imagine you could contact Hutchins about the porthole ring, or it may be a stock Perko item.  I think it was proprietary to Com-Pac.

The topping lift is a 3/16" non stretching nylon line that ties through a hole in the aluminum mast top and down to the butterfly at the end of the mast.  This keeps the boom from crushing your noggin when you drop the mainsail.

The butterfly is a curved stainless piece about 3/4" wide and swivels on a central bolt at the end of the mast.  The bottom of the plate attaches the mainsheet block.  The top attaches the topping lift.

Besides that you have a forestay, two side shrouds.  Adjust the mast with a little forward rake to balance the rig.  A mainsail halyard on the starboard side, and a Jib halyard on the port side.

Run the jib sheets inboard of the shrouds unless you use the genoa.

[multimedia_smith]

I know you can get the pieces from the ComPac factory... they are pre cut and exact... it might be worth pricing them V/S your time and the ultimate outcome.  While you have them on the phone... you can inquire as to the preferred method of attachment.
Best of Luck
Dale