Headlining

The Westerly Droop

Vinyl headlining with a foam backing has a life of aproximately 20 years after which the foam turns to a black, toxic powder. On some Westerly yachts (eg Centaur) the lining was glued direct to the grp using a contact adhesive. Eventually the foam turns to powder leaving the contact adhesive still attached to the GRP. The vinyl then sags producing the appearance of the inside of a Bedouin tent or the so called "Westerly Droop".

Over the years several different techniques have been evolved to deal with this.

Try to stick it back

Usually this is unsuccessful or at best only partially satisfactory. The powdery surface behind the vinyl is difficult to stick back and at the edges the vinyl may no longer be sufficient to cover the space.

Support it with Lathes If the vinyl is in rasonable condition this can be quite an effetive "bodge". Thin lathes say 0.5" wide can be sprung into a bow that supports the vinyly across the roof. The edges of the lathes can be located in notches in the curtain rails on either side of the cabin and two thicknesses of lathes can be used to give a multilayer spring effect in the central region. The effect can look quite pleasing and is effective for supporting the central area of the vinyl however the edges may e a problem and eventually the vinyl OR o rip it all off Be careful to use an industrial mask to avoid breathing the dust. and then Either o replace with similar material either DIY or pay somebody to do it OR o replace with vinyl clad 4mm marine play panels OR o cover in wood OR o cover in marine carpeting OR o cover in exotic substances bought in Lidl