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E32-3 - Hunting possible water / mold issues under head's headliner

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
Hi all,

I was digging around looking for problems today and noticed the headliner foam in my head looks like it's gotten wet before, and the whole area was kind of dark and gross inside. I took a video after jamming my phone inside, can anyone help me make sense of what I'm looking at?

Video here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZEY2m5pxR7KFjuND7

A couple stills from the video - it looks like the exterior clam vent leading to the interior mesh vent is corroded - could this be a possible source of the grossness?

headvent.jpg

Also i noticed there was maybe the end of a screw sticking down through the cabin top - it seems like maybe it's from the grab rail? Is this really how the rail was screwed into the boat?

headscrew.jpg

Either way it doesn't look very happy under there, so something will need some work.
 

bigd14

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Can't help you with the leak, but there's a big spider hiding up there! (0:16)
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Dunno... polyurethane foam is perfectly biodegradable, and UV degradable, and has a finite lifetime. Even if kept bone dry. All of of my 80’s vehicles headliners have rotted out and now the 90’s ones are well on their way. One can replace like with like, or switch to some faux paneling material. (The shippy paneling look worked great in the Suburban, but I’m not sure it will go with the Beemer...)

Makes one really appreciate a good fiberglass liner :egrin:
 

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
Maybe I'm just paranoid. Nothing actually seems wet up there, just kinda gross. Not sure what's up with that screw, though - paranoia continues!
 

bolbmw

Member III
I find that it can take several days of purposeful drying out with a heater on in my boat to get rid of the obvious moisture, not including unseen areas like under headliners. There has been 38 years of moisture in my boat, on every surface - you're going to find some mold in places.

From what I see in your video it is perfectly normal for an old boat. Clean what you can see, hit it with some concrobium spray.
 

Tin Kicker

Sustaining Member
Moderator
I pulled the headliner as part of refitting the head and below is the outer area of seen in your video. At the top left you can see the hose clamp and 34 year old hardened plastic tubing on green corroded copper fittings. I'm replacing the ceiling with automotive headliner like the original, glued to a layer of Reflectix insulation.

20191001_184319-M.jpg

What looks like teak on the wall are 3 rows of Home Depot Acacia luxury vinyl 5" floor planks covering a layer of Reflectix insulation. The vinyl planks were first glued together with plumbing PVC cement, then the Reflectix was glued on. The orange tube is the Gorilla construction adhesive used to put the vinyl planking on the bare fiberglass. The Gorilla Construction adhesive can be used in water and is essentially a $10 version of 5200 when used for interior uses such as this.

FWIW and why the wall covering was replaced, this is the same area before starting the refit.
20190123_150612-M.jpg
 

Geoff W.

Makes Up For It With Enthusiasm
Blogs Author
FWIW and why the wall covering was replaced, this is the same area before starting the refit.

Holy sh-t! How does that even happen?

I think I just get worried because I inherited this boat in pretty dang nice condition and want to keep it up to the standards I see other peoples' beautiful boats in on these forums...but then pics like your 2nd one remind me that my boat is still in (relatively) nice condition!

Insulation and new headliner is going to be great, btw.
 

Tin Kicker

Sustaining Member
Moderator
The rubber in the port lights had hardened and leaked for so long that the aluminum frames had eroded. Got a screaming deal on brand new Lewmar stainless #1s so a set of those are in the process of going in.
 

Kenneth K

1985 32-3, Puget Sound
Blogs Author
What looks like teak on the wall are 3 rows of Home Depot Acacia luxury vinyl 5" floor planks....

Man, that Acacia flooring looks amazing. Better color and graining than real teak, plus, it's gonna last forever.

And, Geoff, I posted about this elsewhere, but I had a hard to find leak under the headliner just to port of the mast. Turns out water was tracking INSIDE the outer jacket of the 3-wire electrical run from the combo-deck/steaming light.

My general assumption when looking for boats was: sidewall rot below the ports = portlight leaks; rot above the ports = deck leaks collecting/spreading under the headliner. YMMV.
 
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