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Saloon Forward
- The Saloon contained two swivel
chairs, plastic table and the original
pull-out sofa bed. The chairs and sofa
were damp and mildewed. There were leaks
in the cabin top. The seams where the
deckhouse met the teak deck leaked. The
floor covering had previously been torn
out. Everything that was not fastened down was removed. Next came the initial cleaning and then a detailed inspection. |
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Saloon Starboard Aft - In the Saloon there was leaking around and below the side windows. This was evident by the rusted Raritan air conditioner that was sitting just under the starboard aft Saloon window. The entire area was opened-up for a detailed inspection. |
| Saloon Starboard Forward - The windows, window framing and sash as well as the lower walls and cabinets were rotting and subsequently removed. |
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Saloon Starboard Forward
- All of the
wood that was in any way damaged, soft or
rotting was replaced with new mahogany.
All the replaced wood was fastened with
standardized stainless steel screws. In an attempt to create a clean visually look, the screw holes were first counterbored and plugged with mahogany bungs all with the grains aligned. The bungs were held in place with Titebond II general-purpose wood glue. |
| Saloon Starboard Forward - The forward inside wall was re-framed with 5/8" mahogany stock to match the framing on the port side forward wall. |
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Saloon Starboard Aft
- The forward
part of the common wall between the aft
guest head and the saloon was soft to the
touch. Opening a hole in the wall
revealed that the wall was being held
together by its many layers of paint and
that the wood was wet and spongy. The repair work began by removing the bottom molding on the doorway that leads from the controls station down into the saloon. The portion of the wall that was visible in the saloon was covered with a Luan skin. Removing the Luan showed that the wall had been patched several times in the past. A close inspection of that common wall showed that the top outside half of the wall was rotting. The deconstruction continued with the removal of the mahogany skirt board attached to the inside of the starboard side - aft, saloon window. This showed that the end of that plank was rotting. Additionally, the end of the deck carlin was not supported, attached or tied-in to anything, just floating free. It was also discovered that a piece of the short deck beam where the top of the common wall attached to had previously been replaced. The repaired piece was attached with a simple 45° cut. No glue, no screws, it was held in place by being fastened to the common wall which meant that the repair provided no structural support whatsoever. Last, the deconstruction exposed that the starboard bilge blower was fitted to the upper hull but the hose that was attached to the blower was not fitted into the engine room. It was just resting on top of the saloon decking. |
| Saloon Starboard Aft - The repair work of the common head and saloon wall began by cutting away a ⅔ horizontal portion of the common wall. Next, a new short deck beam was cut and installed. Following that, a new ¾" upper wall replacement piece was cut. The new upper wall piece was dry-fitted to the original bottom wall and marked every 6" in order to make cuts for biscuits. Number 20 biscuit cuts were made in the two boards. The two edges of the boards were buttered with West System 105 / 205 epoxy that were thickened with West System 404 high-density filler. Then the boards were married together. Last, the new wall piece was fastened to the new deck beam and hull frame with #8 - 1 ½" stainless steel screws. |
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Saloon Port Forward
- The side wall
was showing signs of delamination and rot
under the many coats of varnish. It was
suspected that this area was also part of
the leaking down into the dinette below
the shelf. The decision was made to deconstruct and completely open the side wall and shelf. |
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Saloon Port Forward
- Removing the
molding and side wall revealed the
location of the decorative port hole that
was part of the original
construction. Through water testing and inspection it became clear that the leaking inside and subsequent wood rot was caused by a bad seal around the triangular window, coupled with a bad seal where the teak decking meet the cabin side. The bottom of the window post was rotted through and needed to be repaired or replaced. The framing in the dinette supporting the shelf also needed to be repaired or replaced. |
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Saloon Port Forward - The decision was made to use a 'simple scarf joint' technique to repair the bad window post. The bad frame was cut back to solid good wood. Next, a scarf was cut in the remaining good wood of the frame. A new mahogany frame member was cut. Then new frame member was cut with the same diagonal cut. The two pieces were then buttered with West System 105 / 205 epoxy that were thickened with West System 404 high-density filler. Last, while the epoxy was still wet the two pieces were fastened with #8 - 2" stainless steel screws. After the epoxy had cured the new framing was sanded smooth. |
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Saloon Port Forward
- Due to the
week window framing the outside of the
window also needed repair. The three
corner areas were sanded and the stress
cracks gouged out. The cracks were then
buttered with West System 105 / 205 epoxy
that were thickened with West System 404
high-density filler. Last, while the
epoxy was still wet the three corner
areas were fiberglassed. After the epoxy
had cured the area was sanded smooth for
painting. The teak deck seams along the cabin side were reefed out and then resealed. |
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Saloon Port Forward - With the framing repairs completed the re-construction began by installing 1/2" paneling on the outside wall. |
| Saloon Port Forward - A finished Luan panel was then trimmed out with 5/8" molding. |
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Saloon Port Forward
- With all of
the molding in place the woodwork was
finished with sanding, stain and
varnish. The wood was first faired with 220-grit sandpaper producing a clean smooth finish. The woodwork was painted with the grain with Interlux – #573 C.C. Red Mahogany Wood Filler Stain that had been thinned 50% by volume. After the stain had set-up for approximately 5 minutes the excess was rubbed off against the grain with a cotton towel. After the stain had dried for 24 hours it was rubbed down with a Green (Medium) 3M Scotch-Brite Pad. The wood was then painted with six coats of Interlux - #95 - Goldspar Varnish. Before the last coat was applied, the previous coats were lightly block sanded with 220-grit sandpaper, and then everything was vacuumed and wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint thinner. The panel was fastened to the inside wall framing with #6 - ¾" stainless steel screws and finish washers. |
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Saloon
Port Aft ~ Outer Wall -
In
order to present a clean neat appearance, any
unused brackets, screws, plumbing or wiring
were removed. Any protruding screws were cut
off. The hull frames, seam battens and planks were scraped and vacuumed. Even though it would not be seen all the inside planking, seam battens and hull frames were cleaned with a mixture of water, TSP and bleach. In preparation for the finish paint, two coats of Interlux - Pre-Kote White primer were rolled and tipped using a 1/8" nap foam roller and a 2" foam brush. After each coat had dried, the paint was smoothed with 220-grit sandpaper. The primed wood was then rolled and tipped using a 1/8" nap foam roller and a 2" foam brush with two coats of Interlux Brightside - White. After the first coat had dried, the paint was smoothed with 220-grit sandpaper. Before final painting, the wood was vacuumed and then wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint thinner. |
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Saloon
Port Aft ~ Outer Wall -
The
new outer walls were cut from Luan panels and
fastened with #6 - 1" stainless steel screws to
the hull frames. The seams were sealed with 3M
4200. In preparation for the finish paint, two coats of Interlux - Pre-Kote White primer were rolled and tipped using a 1/8" nap foam roller and a 2" foam brush. After each coat had dried, the paint was smoothed with 220-grit sandpaper. The primed wood was then rolled and tipped using a 1/8" nap foam roller and a 2" foam brush with two coats of Interlux Brightside - White. After the first coat had dried, the paint was smoothed with 220-grit sandpaper. Before final painting, the wood was vacuumed and then wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint thinner. |
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Saloon
Port Aft ~ Inboard Wall -
A new inboard Luan wall panels
were measured, cut and dry fitted. Any nicks,
dings or gouges were repaired using
Famowood mahogany
Wood Filler. The new inboard wall
was first faired with 220-grit sandpaper
producing a clean smooth finish. The woodwork was painted with the grain with Interlux – #573 C.C. Red Mahogany Wood Filler Stain that had been thinned 50% by volume. After the stain had set-up for approximately 5 minutes the excess was rubbed off against the grain with a cotton towel. After the stain had dried for 24 hours it was rubbed down with a Green (Medium) 3M Scotch-Brite Pad. The panel was then painted with six coats of Interlux - #95 - Goldspar Varnish. Before the last coat was applied, the previous coats were lightly block sanded with 220-grit sandpaper, and then everything was vacuumed and wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint thinner. The panel was fastened to the inside wall framing with #6 - ¾" stainless steel screws and finish washers. |
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Saloon
Port Forward ~ Cabinet Shelf -
The
cabinet on the Port side of the saloon was just
one large cavity. The decision was made to
install a shelf across the nook. First, 1/2 x 1" side support brackets were cut then glued and screwed into the sidewalls. |
| Saloon Port Forward ~ Cabinet Shelf - A sheet of ½" mahogany plywood was used to cut the shelf. Front and rear ½ x 2" stiffeners were then glued and screwed on the underside edges of the shelf. |
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Saloon
Port Forward ~ Cabinet Shelf
-
In preparation for the
finish paint, two coats of Interlux -
Pre-Kote White primer were rolled and
tipped using a 1/8" nap foam roller and a
2" foam brush. After each coat had dried,
the paint was smoothed with 220-grit
sandpaper. The primed wood was then
rolled and tipped using a 1/8" nap foam
roller and a 2" foam brush with two coats
of Interlux Brightside - White. After the
first coat had dried, the paint was
smoothed with 220-grit sandpaper. Before
final painting, the wood was vacuumed and
then wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint
thinner. The decision was made to trim the exposed edges with mahogany molding. New ¼" x 1" mahogany molding strips were cut. With the molding rough cut, the outboard edge of the molding was rounded-over with a 1/2" radius round-over bit. A Dremmel contour sander was used to smooth the rounded edge of the new molding. The wood was smoothed using 120 and then 220-grit sandpaper producing a clean smooth finish. The woodwork was painted with the grain with Interlux – #573 C.C. Red Mahogany Wood Filler Stain that had been thinned 50% by volume. After the stain had set-up for approximately 5 minutes the excess was rubbed off against the grain with a cotton towel. After the stain had dried for 24 hours it was rubbed down with a Green (Medium) 3M Scotch-Brite Pad. The wood was painted with three applications of West System 105 / 205 epoxy. The epoxy was thinned 100% by volume with lacquer thinner to the consistency of water. The epoxy was applied with a foam roller and then tipped off with a brush to remove any bubbles. When applied, the diluted mixture soaks into the wood, where the epoxy cures and the solvent evaporates. The process dramatically slows the migration of moisture, but does not act as a "water-proffer." After each application had dried for 24 hours, it was lightly sanded with 120-grit sandpaper. The whited-out epoxy was then vacuumed and wiped-down with a cotton towel and paint thinner. The molding was then fastened to the front of the shelf using #16 - 1" brass escutcheon pins. |
| Saloon Port Aft - A small area of rot was discovered at the top wall of the wall from the saloon mirror. It seamed to have been caused by the leaking from the front windshield. The windshield had been repaired previously and this rot area appeared to be an unknown leftover. First the rot was dug out and then the wood sprayed with an application of Ethylene glycol antifreeze in order to kill any rot spoors. The areas were repaired using a fairing compound made from West System 105 / 205 epoxy that was tinted with 1 drop of mahogany coloring agent. The epoxy was thickened with West System 404 high-density filler. |
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Saloon Port Aft
- Over the years
and owners, many different types of
stains, colors, tints, sealers and
varnishes had been used on the boat. The
net effect was that the exposed mahogany woodwork
did not have a uniform color, texture or
finish. The choice was made to try to
achieve a level of consistency. In order
to achieve a uniform look the decision
was made to strip, sand, stain and
refinish all the wood. The woodwork was first painted with multiple applications of Strypeeze paint and varnish remover followed by hand scraping to remove the accumulated old finish. Any nicks, dings, scratches or blemishes were repaired using Famowood mahogany wood filler. With the surface repaired, the wood was smoothed using 120 and then 220-grit sandpaper producing a clean smooth finish. The woodwork was painted with the grain with Interlux – #573 C.C. Red Mahogany Wood Filler Stain that had been thinned 50% by volume. After the stain had set-up for approximately 5 minutes the excess was rubbed off against the grain with a cotton towel. After the stain had dried for 24 hours it was rubbed down with a Green (Medium) 3M Scotch-Brite Pad. The wood was coated with six coats of Interlux - #95 - Goldspar Varnish. Before the last coat was applied the previous coat were block sanded with 220-grit sandpaper, then everything was vacuumed and wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint thinner. |
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Saloon Port Forward
- The cabinet
doors were removed and the hardware
striped off. The abandoned screw holes were re-drilled and then plugged with hardwood dowels. The dowels were buttered with West System 105 / 205 epoxy and then driven into the screw holes. Later the top of the dowels were cut off and the wood sanded smooth with 120-grit sandpaper. The Strypeeze had loosened some of the original wood glue that was holding the door together. The seams of the door were re-glued using West System 105 / 205 epoxy. The doors were then clamped on their length and width and allowed to dry for twenty-four hours. All of the hardware was soaked in full strength ammonia for a week in order to loosen all of the old paint, stain, varnish and green patina. The parts were then scrubbed with a stiff bristle nylon brush and rinsed clean. The mechanical parts were sprayed with WD40 to lubricate and protect them. All of the hardware was then reinstalled using same size and types of fasteners. |
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| Saloon Starboard Forward ~ Floor Hatch - In order to have access to the newly relocated batteries on the starboard side, an access hatch was cut in the forward part of the saloon floor on the starboard side. The hatch size and location was the same as the original one that Chris-Craft built on the port side of the saloon floor. OEM Chris Craft - flush mounted, recessed hatch pull were found on the Internet and installed in the deck hatches. |
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Saloon
Starboard Aft
~ Magazine Rack -
Like many things
aboard Independence , the original
magazine rack was broken and weathered.
The cross slat was broken off and the
mahogany Luan back was delaminating. With
the desire to keep as much of the
original fixtures as possible, the
decision was made to repair and restore
the magazine rack and not to just replace
it with something newer. The delaminating Luan back was injected with West System 105 / 205 epoxy. The epoxy was thinned 100% by volume with lacquer thinner to the consistency of water. This process allowed the epoxy to slowly seep into the wood. In order to pull the delaminating wood together two small boards were wrapped with wax paper and then clamped to the front and back of the delaminating back panel. Two applications of Strypeeze paint and varnish remover followed by hand scraping succeeded in removing the accumulated varnish. Any nicks, dings or gouges were repaired using Famowood mahogany Wood Filler. Next, the woodwork was faired using 120 and then 220-grit paper. |
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Saloon
Starboard Aft ~ Magazine Rack
- The woodwork was painted with the grain with Interlux
– #573 C.C. Red Mahogany Wood Filler Stain that
had been thinned 50% by volume. After the stain had
set-up for approximately 5 minutes the excess was
rubbed off against the grain with a cotton towel. After the stain
had dried for 24 hours it was rubbed down with a Green
(Medium) 3M Scotch-Brite Pad. The wood was painted with three applications of West System 105 / 207 epoxy. The epoxy was thinned 100% by volume with lacquer thinner to the consistency of water. The epoxy was applied with a foam roller and then tipped off with a brush to remove any bubbles. When applied, the diluted mixture soaks into the wood, where the epoxy cures and the solvent evaporates. The process dramatically slows the migration of moisture, but does not act as a "water-proffer." After each application had dried for 24 hours, it was lightly sanded with 120-grit sandpaper. The whited-out epoxy was then vacuumed and wiped-down with a cotton towel and paint thinner. |
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Saloon ~ Ceiling Lights - The saloon was equipped with two Halo Lighting Co. fixtures ("Halo recessed type electric fixture, issue #75680") which supplied ample light to the forward end of the saloon. The decision was made to increase the lighting by adding two more fixtures to the aft portion of the saloon. |
| Saloon ~ Ceiling Lights - Two original and weathered Halo fixtures were acquired from an Internet auction. The old surface rust on the cases was sanded off with 120-grit sandpaper. The cases were then sprayed with two coats of Rust-Oleum Red Primer. After drying overnight, they were again sprayed with two coats of Rust-Oleum Gloss White Appliance Spray Paint. |
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Saloon ~ Ceiling Lights - New mahogany frames were cut and the lights fitted. New 14 gauges multiple strand marine wire was installed and the two new lights were wired into the existing circuit. |
| Saloon ~ Sliding Hatch - In addition to the bi-fold hatch the hatchway going down into the Saloon from the Wheelhouse was also equipped with a sliding privacy hatch. The hatch was difficult to open and close and was binding in its track making it unusable. |
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Saloon
~ Sliding Hatch
- With
the sliding hatch and saloon headliner
removed it was clear to see that the
channel for the sliding hatch on each
side was in two pieces with the back
pieces twisted, bent and hanging
loose. The decision was made to replace each track with a continuous 5' long channel and to properly fit and fasten it. George Wohlgemuth of B & W Woodcrafters was able to supply two new Aluminum channels. |
| Saloon ~ Sliding Hatch - The old sliding hatch was warped, chipped and the sides worn. The decision was made to manufacture a new replacement sliding hatch. |
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Saloon ~ Sliding Hatch - Using the old hatch as a base pattern a new hatch was cut and trimmed to work smoothly in the new track. |
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Saloon ~ Air Conditioner -
With the repair and
reconstruction work completed, the decision was
made to replace the three old air conditioning
units. After numerous inquiries, research and conversations with other large boat owners and marine surveyors the decision was made to install self-contained Cruisair units and corresponding controls. Mid Coast Marine was chosen to do all of the installation work. A 18K B.T.U. unit was installed under the counter in the galley to cool the Saloon. |
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| Saloon Forward ~ Trim Boards - The three forward trim boards in the saloon were out of alignment and the port side board appeared shorter than the other two. Removing the three boards showed that the all three boards were original but the port side board had one end shortened. |
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Saloon
Forward ~ Trim Boards
- The port side
board had been shortened by an inch and
three quarters. The decision was made to
manufacture a new board for the port side
and to cut it to fit as it was
originally.
Using the starboard side board as a base pattern a new trim board was cut and fitted. |
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Saloon Forward ~ Trim
Boards- Two
applications of Strypeeze paint and varnish
remover followed by hand scraping succeeded in
removing the accumulated varnish. Any nicks,
dings or gouges were repaired using Famowood
mahogany Wood Filler. Next, the woodwork was
faired using 120 and then 220-grit paper. The woodwork was painted with the grain with Interlux – #573 C.C. Red Mahogany Wood Filler Stain that had been thinned 50% by volume. After the stain had set-up for approximately 5 minutes the excess was rubbed off against the grain with a cotton towel. After the stain had dried for 24 hours it was rubbed down with a Green (Medium) 3M Scotch-Brite Pad. Last, the wood was coated with six coats of Interlux - #60 - Goldspar Satin Varnish. Before the last coat was applied the previous coat were block sanded with 220-grit sandpaper, then everything was vacuumed and wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint thinner. |
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Saloon
Starboard ~ Rope Lighting -
In order to introduce soft,
non-glair, indirect lighting into the saloon
the decision was made to install white rope
lighting. To achieve the best professional look
four-foot sections of ½" clear mounting
track was fastened on 6" centers along the
inside edge of the soffit boards that ran the
length of the saloon on each side. Two lengths
of 12-volt rope lights were firmly pushed into
the mounting track. Later, after the headliner is installed a fascia board will be installed. |
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Saloon Forward ~ Rope Lighting - The two lengths of light were connected using 16 gauge wire that ran across the front of the saloon. One end of the rope light was fitted with an end cap while the other end was fitted with the power cord. The power cord was connected to a rocker switch mounted at the entrance to the saloon. |
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Saloon
Forward ~ Headliner Install -
After a
long abstinence, the headliner in the saloon
was reinstalled. The
decision was made to use Nautolex -
bright white, no foam backing, perforated vinyl
marine headliner. The vinyl is a tough, durable
stain resistant material. The perforated vinyl
was chosen to help promote circulation. Installing a suspended headliner is a job that requires patience and persistence. The headliner installation was performed by a local person who is a former Post Yachts employee that had spent twenty-three years installing headliners and manufacturing cushions for Post. The work started at the bow end and proceeded aft. |
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Saloon Aft ~ Headliner Install - Installing the first panel is the most difficult and time consuming. The centerline of the saloon roof beams was established and marked. Using a single row of perforation holes in the headliner as a guide and starting in the center of the headliner one end of the headliner was stapled to the side of the roof beam following the athwartships concave contour of the beam. The headliner was then wrapped down and under the roof beam. With the center of the headliner aligned with the centerline of the roof beam, the end of the headliner was temporarily tacked to an aft roof beam using pushpins. Starting in the middle of the headliner and working each side evenly, the headliner was pulled tight and again held in place with the pushpins. Repeated strong pulling and positioning slowly removed any sags and wrinkles in the headliner. With the headliner pulled very tight, it was then stapled to the aft roof beam with Monel staples. |
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Saloon
~ Cornice Board -
In
order to hide the drapery and lighting
hardware along the saloon windows and to
keep the dust off, a cornice board was
installed along the inside edge of the
ceiling soffit board. Two, 4" x ¾" x 16' mahogany boards were milled and dry fitted. The wood was first faired with 220-grit sandpaper producing a clean smooth finish. The woodwork was painted with the grain with Interlux – #573 C.C. Red Mahogany Wood Filler Stain that had been thinned 50% by volume. After the stain had set-up for approximately 5 minutes the excess was rubbed off against the grain with a cotton towel. After the stain had dried for 24 hours it was rubbed down with a Green (Medium) 3M Scotch-Brite Pad. The wood was then painted with six coats of Interlux - #60 - Goldspar Satin Varnish. Before the last coat was applied, the previous coats were lightly block sanded with 220-grit sandpaper, and then vacuumed and wiped-down with a tack-rag and paint thinner. The panels were fastened to the inside edge of the soffit boards with #6 - 1 ¼" stainless steel screws and finish washers. |
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Saloon ~ Barrel-back Chairs - The two barrel back chairs and the pull-out Castro Convertible sofa bed in the saloon were covered with different types of fabric, with differing colors, patterns and texture. In order to create a clean uniform look, the decision was made to reupholster all three pieces using a non-organic fabric. |
| Saloon ~ Barrel-back Chairs - The old stuffing was removed and new foam and padding cut and installed. All the seams were glued and sewn. |
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Saloon ~ Barrel-back Chairs - Sunbrella brand is the leader in durable and quality marine fabric and was chosen for the reupholster project. |
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Saloon
~ Castro Convertible Table
- After years
of searching, a Castro Convertible table
was found. The Castro table was original
equipment on the boat when it left the
Chris craft facility in Florida. The Danish modern style s spring loaded Coffee Table / Dining Table lifts to table height and top swivels and folds open to reveal a table big enough to easily accommodate 4 people to have dinner. Coffee Table 46"(L) x 26"(W) x 16"(H) 3" Thick Table Top Dining Table: 49"(L) x 44"(W) x 29"(H) 1" Thick Table Top |
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