[In The Deep]

Hello,

I have just purchased my first boat, a 1990 Tiara 3100 with twin Mercruiser 330 Blue water engines.

The boat is in fairly good shape, however there are a few cosmetic issues I would like to address.

The headliner (ceiling) in the main cabin is sagging, not signs of water stains or intrusion. How difficult of a fix is this? Can the headliner be replaced? Is there a backing or padding between the liner and the fiberglass of the overhead bow deck?

Any suggestions or resources welcomed.

Thanks!!

---

Hello,

I have just purchased my first boat, a 1990 Tiara 3100 with twin Mercruiser 330 Blue water engines.

The boat is in fairly good shape, however there are a few cosmetic issues I would like to address.

The headliner (ceiling) in the main cabin is sagging, not signs of water stains or intrusion. How difficult of a fix is this? Can the headliner be replaced? Is there a backing or padding between the liner and the fiberglass of the overhead bow deck?

Any suggestions or resources welcomed.

Thanks!!

Sorry I pressed the submit button too quick!!

The other to do task is to address the cracking and peeling of the powder coating on the radar arch, as well as repaint the windscreen frame.

I welcome any thoughts on how to best proceed.

[Uhehner]

I put zinc chromate primer on the aluminum and then I brush and mini-pad painted it with Awlgrip. The pad takes out the brush marks.  Looks better than new. Capt. George

[In The Deep]

Thanks Cpt. George.

Are you referring to the radar arch or windscreen frames, or are both treated the same manner?

I have seen a previous post where you explained how you painted windscreen frames. Was this done without removal and after sanding, bondo, painting with the grey Alwgrip was this the finished process?

Lots eager to learn!! Any suggestions for a sagging head liner in cabin?

[Uhehner]

All aluminum needs a primer and I like the zinc chromate.  I don't have a radar arch but aluminum is aluminum. I can't imagine the work involved in removing the windshield frames just to paint them. And replacing them again and aligning the holes. WOW. Awlgrip is not very difficult to apply. Mask the area and cover the surroundings with drop cloths.
I have never had a headliner problem on a boat but on a car I poked holes in the liner and used a can of 3M spray adhesive with a long thin tip and it worked pretty well. Usually the foam backing on the headliner fails and that causes the sag.
Good luck, Capt. George

[In The Deep]

[In The Deep]

Curious on anyone's opinion on best covering for cabin headliner - carpet, vinyl, or cloth? Which finish looks best?

[Freedomskeeper]

In my '89 3100 the headliner seems to be semi-rigid "fur" covered panels. I regularly spot clean them with a foaming bleach product and recall feeling something like joists where the anchor points are. With joists you have several options.

1. You could use wood, either thin panels , or tongue in groove, in leu of the cloth. This may be complex due to the angles involved and may add some weight but could look really nice. The wood would need to be protected from water intrusion.

2. White PVC beadbord panels. I used this to update the V-berth walls below the shelf. They wipe down with a damp cloth, are cheap, and look nice. No maintenance other than cleaning. You would probably want to put a foam backing to provide additional rigidity between the joists, and increase insulation factor. This would really make the entire cabin feel brighter and larger due to the color and longitudinal paneling stripes. If you trimmed in in teak (or wood of choice) battens it would look very nice!

3. If your headliner is like mine you could pull the panels and cover in your material of choice. This is fairly easy to do. Spray down the existing panel with 3M headliner glue and lay the new material. Trim excess but leave enough to wrap over to the backside so that you can mechanically attach it. You will have to experiment with different cuts to make the overwrap smooth.

I also recently re-caulked my windows. I used [Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]. It comes really close to matching the paint color, is very effective, but can be messy.

[jmk]

I've replaced the headliner in my 3600.  It was stuck to the inner fiberglass shell using something similar to liquid nails.  It was foam-backed vinyl glued to and wrapped around gelcoated plywood panels.  I was not able to remove the panels without breaking them, so I cut new ones out of marine plywood.  Reinstalling is really just a matter of attention to detail and planning.  It was a significant job.  Not something I would recommend unless you consider yourself handy.

[jclark003]

Following up to Capt. George's recommendation, I just removed and painted my exterior windshield parts and it was quite the job. I've also done spot repairs on radar arches. I don't know how your windshield was constructed but my 43 has the frames that are mounted to the deck, glass that sits in the frames from the outside, and exterior caps that screw into the frames and sit over the glass. I called Tiara and they kindly sent me the service bulletin for removing/reinstalling the caps and glass along with parts needed and awlgrip paint codes. Unless you are comfortable taking on that kind of a job and have a lot of time, I would highly recommend that you paint the installed parts without removing them. A lot can go wrong and cleanup of sealants, gaskets and butyl tape is significant. And for sure stay away from pulling frames.

Unless you are familiar with Awlgrip application (spray or brush) I would recommend practicing on some aluminum scraps (and yes definitely use ZC on bare aluminum as Capt. George suggested) before tackling either your windshield or your arch. If you can get someone to help you who is knowledgable on how best to apply all the better. For repairs (such as on your arch) you may be better off using Awlcraft2000 which will more easily wet sand (2000 grit) and buff for removal of tape lines. Read up on awlgrip safety especially if you intend on a spray application. There is a lot out there for good reasons.

Good luck

[jmk]

I have also removed the windshield frames to recoat them (in my case I sandblasted them and powder coated them).  It looks perfect 11 years later but wow it was a lot of work.  I can give some tips if you want but I second the advice you received above: try to repaint the frames without removing them.