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Fan Install & Cabin Liner Thickness

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3521 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/04/2007 : 16:09:23

I am closing in on completing my winter projects for this year before I do my interior and exterior cleanup for the Spring Season (need to wait till they turn the water back on for the finger slips).

I installed two Cadframo Sirocco fans. These fans are pretty big, can be swivelled/pivoted 360 degrees, use a max of .4 amps, have 3 speeds and have a 2, 4 & 6 hour time off function. One I located on mast post at cabin top. That was a piece of cake. I used the 4th positive wire (unused) from my mast rewire job to power the fan.

I was having a hard time figuring out where I wanted to mount the 2nd fan. I decided to mount it part ways into the quarterberth area, forward of the cabin light in that area. I wanted to do this so it can provide cooling/venting for the quarterberth area and also can be directed forward to assist in cooling the main cabin when eating, etc. I mounted the fan with the mounting bracket in the vertical on the cabin side wall liner. The fan can be stored pivot locked against the wall liner to minimize it being an obstruction when it is not being used.

I felt with my finger the approximate thicknes of the liner to see if this was going to be an acceptable mounting location. The liner seems about 3/8 - 1/2" thick. The fan mounting plate installs with 6 screws and I sized them so that they would penetrate the liner....perhaps 3/8". I drilled small starter holes before screwing in the screws. It seemed to me that when bottoming the screws, there was sort of a sound like laminated layers separating. Maybe my imagination but just to be safe, I backed off the screws a bit but still held the mounting plate securely. I temporarily wired the fan up. It works. I'll finish the wiring permanently during this week.

Any idea how thick the starboard cabin wall liner is ? I could only feel the thickness with my finger at the top of the liner just before the cabin top. It felt like 3/8-1/2" thick. Is it possible it is a different thickness at the top versus mid-level ? Is it possible the liner is made with two sheets and the noise I heard when tightening the screws was the seaparting between the layers ? I doubt it was the screw against the hull. I backed off the screws anyway to minimize those pressure points.

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 20:04:23

Hi Larry,
I have no idea on the thickness of the cabin wall but am interested in where you mounted the fans. Will you be posting the project on your site?

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 20:11:53

Larry,

Here's my inturpretation of what I've found so far while drilling, grinding, patching, etc. on my 1979 C-25.

The deck liner (or head liner), and the hull liner are were probably no more than 1/8"-3/16" thick when they came out the molds. These liners are more cosmetic and less structural than the hull and deck.

Before assembly, the hull liner and deck (probably still inverted in their molds), had 3/8"-1/2" or so plywood bonded with polyester resin to all horizontal surfaces where a person might put their weight. the nearly vertical sides of the coach roof were similarly stiffened with about 1/4" plywood.

Some of the plywood stiffeners were also glassed over after being installed.

Just before the deck liner was lowered into the inverted deck, generous quantities of a polyester resin and sawdust slurry were poured in the top of the coach roof to bond the liner to the deck, and further stiffen the structure.

When the hull liner was installed, some of the resin goop was used, but the parts were bonded and stiffened mostly with fiberglass woven roving and polyester resin tabbing.

Some of this work may not have been done with the same attention to detail applied to the more visible parts of the boat. Over time, some of the plywood may have rotted or delaminated (from itself and/or the fiberglass).

Let me repeat, this is only my guess based on poking around in the darker areas of my particular C-25. There were many assembly changes over the long production run, so not all C-25s were built exactly the same.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3521 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2007 : 21:54:46

THanks for the info. My mounting is of low weight load and....well believe it or not I actually looked on the outside of the hull to see if I poked a hole through it - Yikes ! Thank God - Nothing that exciting or depressing occured. But interesting reading Leon's thoughts on the construction. Maybe it was the bonded layer that I was hearing separation noises. That might be. I backed off the screws and believe no ill effects. But I will check and see if elsewhere in the boat there is an area to get a better look at the the liner matl.

I have to update my website with my latest projects. I have also been tied to the slip, not able to get out sailing for about a month. It was first the freezing of the Potomac, then after the thaw out, the days I had free to sail were either very cold days or blustery. I may get a chance this week to get out but I will start snapping photos. have to add battery charger installation, new switch panel and the fans.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2007 : 07:45:21

I had no problems mounting my teak paneling

I then mounted my fan to the teak.

Edited by - Frank Hopper on 03/05/2007 07:47:29

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.