E29 Cabin trim replacement

[Jay Sauls]

Hey folks,

First let me apologize upfront for lack of correct terms, my last boat was a broke down 24' MacGreggor that was essentially a floating (until the day it wasn't) fiberglass shell that I sailed the 'wheels off of' despite having no idea what I was doing! Anyhoo, a year ago I picked up a mostly abandoned, partially sunk '74 E29 and have slowly brought it back to life, despite my best efforts to do more damage than good. Now that I have the wiring (most of it) no longer sparking and the engine running, I'm turning my attention to the aesthetics. The thin, panel-like trim (wiring runs behind it) that line the inside of the boat has mostly fibers and mush. Where can I find wood to replace this? Is this something I can get at the local lumber supply store?

Thanks in advance!

Jay

 

[Christian Williams]

E29 owners will know more, but basically since its just trim you can do whatever you like. Stop any leaks first, of course.

Home Depot has mahogany and teak boards, but it's expensive and probably too thick.

Is the existing trim veneer on plywood? If so, Rockler makes various veneers that might just glue on to the old pieces. Or you could cut new thin plywood and veneer that . When varnished it might match the cabin pretty well. In 1974, did Ericson use mahogany or teak?

If the old trim is salvageable you can also prep and paint it. Congrats on bringing an old warrior back to the fight.

 

[Slick470]

That looks like veneered plywood to me. You can get plywood at most big box stores that has a hardwood veneer, or as Christian mentions, you can also get veneer that you can apply on plywood.

 

[Jay Sauls]

E29 owners will know more, but basically since its just trim you can do whatever you like. Stop any leaks first, of course.

Home Depot has mahogany and teak boards, but it's expensive and probably too thick.

Is the existing trim veneer on plywood? If so, Rockler makes various veneers that might just glue on to the old pieces. Or you could cut new thin plywood and veneer that . When varnished it might match the cabin pretty well. In 1974, did Ericson use mahogany or teak?

If the old trim is salvageable you can also prep and paint it. Congrats on bringing an old warrior back to the fight.

Thanks! She's far from being a warrior! Been sunk, submerged, abandoned, wrecked, neglected...originally was a Hurricane Katrina salvage. Wood looks like very thin plywood/vaneer. But for a lake cruiser, she seems to be just okay, just really, really dirty and dingy.

 

[Mark F]

Hi Jay,

The panels you are talking about are probably 1/4" mahogany ply. You can get some luan ply from pretty much any lumber yard. That would be a close match to the existing panels.

 

[kapnkd]

Thanks! She's far from being a warrior! Been sunk, submerged, abandoned, wrecked, neglected...originally was a Hurricane Katrina salvage. Wood looks like very thin plywood/vaneer. But for a lake cruiser, she seems to be just okay, just really, really dirty and dingy.

With a caring new owner, there still should be a lot of life in that old Ericson and it sounds like exactly what she now has.

Our ‘73 E-32 has similar wood trim in the V-berth for trimming out the storage bins. It’s a Mahogany veneered plywood which finally delaminated in areas a couple of years ago. We were able to reglue and clamp it to good as new and then restain it with Minwax “Gunstock” flavored coloring. Found it to be the closest to an in between Teak/Mahogany coloring.

By your photo it looks like above the light is a section of missing veneer. If so, like the others are saying, a sheet of luan cut to size, stained and varnished with a satin finish will get you back to better than new.

Keep up the good work and please show us more of your progress and photos! ...THUMBS UP for keeping that Ericson going strong!!

 

[toddster]

That stuff is 3/8" mahogany plywood, but it sure doesn't like to get wet. Probably not made with "marine" adhesives. Deck leaks fill the chase behind there and where it spills over, the wood goes to mush. Step one: fix the deck leaks.
Step two: replace the plywood. Save the old stuff for a pattern because it's kind of a weird "Mona Lisa Smile" shape. I got some 8mm Okume marine plywood that is a little bit thinner but otherwise a pretty good match.
It's also possible to replace those long pieces with shorter ones: I.e. If you have any thought of putting up shelves or cabinetry in that area, the backs of the pieces can act as the new duct cover. That way you don't have to take out all the shelves every time you need to get into the duct.

Ericson just screwed those panels into the fiberglass with wood screws, which can only be screwed in and out a finite number of times before the plastic crumbles and hogs-out the hole. Some kind of non-rusting drywall anchor, or perhaps an automotive panel clip is needed to replace them. Nothing I've tried so far has been entirely satisfactory.

 

[kapnkd]

That stuff is 3/8" mahogany plywood, but it sure doesn't like to get wet. Probably not made with "marine" adhesives. Deck leaks fill the chase behind there and where it spills over, the wood goes to mush. Step one: fix the deck leaks.
Step two: replace the plywood. Save the old stuff for a pattern because it's kind of a weird "Mona Lisa Smile" shape. I got some 8mm Okume marine plywood that is a little bit thinner but otherwise a pretty good match.
It's also possible to replace those long pieces with shorter ones: I.e. If you have any thought of putting up shelves or cabinetry in that area, the backs of the pieces can act as the new duct cover. That way you don't have to take out all the shelves every time you need to get into the duct.

Ericson just screwed those panels into the fiberglass with wood screws, which can only be screwed in and out a finite number of times before the plastic crumbles and hogs-out the hole. Some kind of non-rusting drywall anchor, or perhaps an automotive panel clip is needed to replace them. Nothing I've tried so far has been entirely satisfactory.

You’re right!

Even the bulkheads weren’t marine grade. Water intrusion from chain plate leaks really creates havoc and integrity of the standing rigging.

We replaced all our bulkheads awhile back with marine grade veneered plywood. Ends were sealed in glass plus chain plate holes were oversized, filled with resin and then redrilled to correct size. This way any leaks are less inclined to soak the bulkhead plys.

(Just some food for thought for anyone redoing their interior woodwork.)