V-birth headliner

Started working on the headliner for v-birth. My original plan was to use template material to create proper shape with all the cutouts required and then transfer it to the headliner material. That proved to be almost impossible. The template kept shifting around and the holes and edges ultimately didn’t match that well.

So I changed the approach and cut out the rough shape directly in the headliner material, then glued the part that didn’t need much adjustment (e.g. the center), and then slowly worked around the edges: drawing the lines, trimming in place, gluing. That worked much better but was a bitch to do upside down in a cramped space. Boat yoga to the max.

The final challenge was to figure out what to do with the visible edge, especially around the hatch. The foam backing, even though it’s thin, is yellow and visible on the edge and that looked kinda ugly. I tried sewing a strip of nylon on but after an hour of experimenting couldn’t get consistent results that looked good. Then I tried to glue that nylon; also without success. The final approach I settled on was to remove about 1/2″ of foam at the edge and glue that edge flash. Turned out OK.

Finished cushions

Started the new year with a bang – marking off one TODO from the 2026 plan: finish cushions. First, I made the remaining v-birth cushion and small trapezoidal insert:

Then went on to make the giant quarter birth cushion:

It was kinda awesome that I ran out of material just there and then. I bought precisely as much as I needed.

Cushions – DONE!

Making progress on cushions – V-birth

Made one of the cushions for the v-birth today. Ended up being a bit more complex with curve+bevel in one side but turned out OK. Man, the boat doesn’t have much space for this type of work – cushion + roll of material + measuring tools and so for. Spent a lot of time crunched up in tight places.

Foam for saloon cushions / V-birth test

Got foam from Sailrite to make saloon cushions and cut it to size. Going with extra firm, 4in thick for seats and 3in thick for backs. No material (or time, really) to sew the covers yet. Used basic blankets to cover the foam and test it out. Sooooo much more comfy than sitting on bare fiberglass! I think the backs may be too high as I cut them initially. Will take them down by an inch or so when making the actual cushions.

Tested out both 4in and 3in thick pieces as mattress in the v-birth. Determined that 3 inches is totally enough for a comfortable rest so will order that thickness for all the sleeping cushions.

Air ducts for dehumidifier

Ran ducts and installed intake vents in the v-birth, head, and saloon. Not the best material for marine environment but I figured with humidity and temp stabilized these will be good to test out the system and will last a few years.

Started on v-birth insert

Started making a new shelf for v-birth with a few guides to keep it in place. Running out of 3/4″ ply so had to join a few remaining odd pieces together.

Thinking it will have a cushion with magnetic attachments so it can be used both as a middle cushion and as a tray to put a drink on.