A25 Hull Liner Questions

[hetek]

As many of you know, the A25 has a white, perforated vinyl headliner-type material with a 1/4" or so foam backing, glued to the inner hull, inside the fore and aft cabins. My boat from 1977 has seen better days. Likewise, so has the foam backing to the vinyl. It has decided to deteriorate to the point of being just dust now. What remains of the vinyl is not much better and will have to go.

My thoughts...

Remove all the woodwork (planned to do anyway) and remove all the old vinyl and what's left of the foam as best I can. That leaves the old gummy adhesive on the inner hull. How do I get rid of this? Solvent? Or do I just put a fresh coat of adhesive over it and install my new liner material of choice, but what? Is the foam backed perforated white vinyl material still available?

Anyone "been there, done that" that could share your experience?

[kerrye]

Previous owner had removed most of the wood in bow cabin and pulled off the liner. I used a stainless steel brush to clean off the foam, primed it with a good primer (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N ... UTF8&psc=1) and then painted the hull white with a latex paint with anti-mildew additive. I don't like liners. They hide leaks and make the boat look like a cheap condo. I then removed the liner from the aft cabin and did the same there. Happy with the results.

[kerrye]

Here's a few pictures:

[Sunsetrider]

How daunting was the task of removing the spongy glue with the wire brush? Or to put in a brighter light: how quick and easy was the glue removal?

[kerrye]

Not difficult. I mostly used the kind of wire brush that is like a scrub brush, not the kind with a long handle. I used the long handled version in some tight places. I had the bow cabin cleaned off in a couple of hours max.

[DesertAlbin736]

Can't help much with this question. All that work that kerrye did was already done for us by previous owners, with new liner material on the sides & the overheads painted white semi gloss, settee cushions reupholstered, new curtains in the front window and mini blinds on the side windows. But we paid a premium price for the boat, what with all that restoration work done & the Yanmar engine repower job. However, ours lacks the extra cabinets up near the bow like with later models, and does not have a sink in the head compartment. Nor does it have any icebox or fridge in that side opening next to the cabin door.

Photos below were saved off the previous owner's original ad. This is what we saw posted on Seattle Craigs list, even though the boat was actually located in southern Idaho. Needless to say, we jumped on it & drove the 850 miles up through Utah to get it.

Albin wardrobe.jpg

Albin Aft Guest Cabin.jpg

0305141748.jpg

[hetek]

That was one of my options, actually - to remove all and paint.

I know Capt Vic and JT went the paint route with their 27's.

How did the wire brush do with the glue? Was some solvent wash needed afterwards?

I do like the "couple hours max" time frame!

[kerrye]

I didn't do anything other than brush off the foam, vacuum it up and prime it with the primer I mentioned before painting it.

[WillieC]

So THAT was what was there originally! No wonder it looks 'rough'. Mine has been painted over with a fair amount of paneling in the easy places. Will think about doing more come winter.

[kerrye]

Vinyl hull liner with a thin (3/16"?) foam backing glued to the roven woving which is the inner layer of fiberglass.

[WillieC]

Too bad the two part barrier coat I used on the hull before bottom paint is so dang espensivo. I half-way planned ahead and had my recycled 40 year old marine plywood swimstep all cut out, sanded, radiused edges ready for the too much paint I mixed for the bottom coat. The pot life was long enough for me to get three coats of two part on the platform, then followed up with mary j bligekote mixed with some minute anti-skid particles. That swim step alone doubled the value of the boat. Almost.

Point is, and I do have one, whatever paint they used on the inside wasn't prepped for very well and it shows. Raggedy Ann and Andy painters. There's always time for another project.

[hetek]

Like kerrye said...

"Vinyl hull liner with a thin (3/16"?) foam backing..."

Or in my case, wrinkled, sagging vinyl hull liner with a thin layer of dust...

That's what 40 years and a marine environment will do to the foam backing.

That primer you linked has some great reviews. Think I'll go that route. Thanks!

[Sunsetrider]

I'll be shopping for a wire brush.

[hetek]

Ah rats!

I had to do it. I had to ask Google...

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?na ... &id=206609

$25 a running yard (54" width). And Defender is right in my back yard! I just happened to have a body of water known as Long Island Sound in my back yard too.

So where do I stand? It's obvious to me the old has to come out. I now see three options:

1. Prime and paint. Simple, clean and low maintenance.
2. Replace with new foam backed perforated vinyl. It does have that originality factor. Thanks a lot Google!
3. A new one: Cover with tight nap marine grade blue carpet (I have an unused roll). I've done this on two other boats and it does come out quite well.

Why not jump at #3 if I already have it? My upholstery is blue and the carpet is blue and it might just be too much blue for me.

I'm going to remove my wood cabinetry, pull out all the old liner, wire brush the hull clean like kerrye said and then decide. First things first.

[DesertAlbin736]

Defender is one of my favorite online go-to sources for boat stuff.