SJ23 Tech Tip C24, (New 2023-10-13) Bob Schimmel, Tim & Kathleen Woods.

Index

Cabin Walls - Install Wood Slats.
DEMOLITION (2023) - The factory fabric on the cabin wall is not very appealing.  If an SJ23 has had any use the fabric will show water mark stains.  Panache's original factory fabric is shown here as an example.  This is the only photo I ever took of it and doesn't show the stains but the gap at the end demonstrates the problem the factory had installing it.  For a description of the problem, read Tech Tip C06. 

The first step towards solving this problem on Tim & Kathleen's SJ23 was to remove the fabric from the cabin walls.  When I walked up to their boat the cockpit was full of fiddles, cushions and other stuff removed from the cabin.  Those two were busy little beavers in there.  Judging from the other debris it was a messy job.  Tim said they thoroughly cleaning the walls prior to installing the furring strips, followed up by painting everything to encapsulate potential dust.  You want a clean fresh smell in the cabin, not musty old glue lingering there. 
SAFETY - Despite the fact that this job was done with a strong wind outside there were still lots of fine air borne particles in the cabin.  Its important to wear a mask to keep these nasty particles out of your eyes and nostrils. 
 

CONSTRUCTION - Tim chose to epoxy 1/2" thick vertical furring strips on the cabin walls, spaced 18" apart, with the two end ones spaced 12" from the others.  The 12" space supported the ends of the horizontal slats with a neat finish. 

- The furring strips in the forward cabin are laminated from 1/8" thick spruce to match the more extreme curvature of the wall at each station.  Laminating a furring strip from wood and epoxy is a tedious but necessary job for easy bonding to the cabin wall. 
- The furring strips in the main cabin are made from solid spruce with a sequence of thin cross cuts on one side to facilitate bending the strip.  Space the thin cuts (hack saw, band saw, etc) about 1" apart and go to 3/4 depth.  This lets each furring strip conform to the curvature of the hull at their station.  The same 18" spacing was used here.
- The horizontal slats are actually standard Aspen household moulding available from a lumber retailer.  This moulding is an expedient method to acquire dimensionally perfect wood.  Aspen is very easy to work with.  Alternatively you could use less expensive finger jointed pine but you risk a joint breaking loose in later years.  The slats were painted on all 6 sides to stabilize the wood against the ingress of moisture.  Tim mounted the slats butt tight to each other using #8 SS pan head screws set in cup washers.  They make for a smooth and strong finish.
 

At right, the completed forward cabin.

The vertical furring strips of laminated wood epoxied to the hull.  The wall was also painted to seal the fibreglass. 


 
 

The starboard cabin wall finished.


 
The top 2 slats must be removed to access the toe rail nuts.


 

(Place overall forward cabin photo here)
 
(Place overall main cabin photo here)
 

Winter set in which put the project on hold.  More photos to come next Spring.   Tim Woods.

MATERIAL:

  • Spruce furring strips (1/2x1)".

  • Epoxy.

  • Aspen or pine moulding, 1/4" thick.

  • #8 SS wood screws.

  • SS cup washers.

Have a party to show off the new interior!
 

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