Hatteras Convertible Refit – Interior – Blending a New and Classic Look

The goal with Encore’s interior update was to both preserve as much of the classic Hatteras look as possible and to also freshen up some of the finishes and fixtures. We did not want to take away from the classic feel of the boat, but we also did not want the interior to feel like it was still 1979. A blend of both new and classic was needed to create a feel of both.

Countertops

The countertops that were on Encore were just unattractive. Their dark color next to the dark color of the teak paneling was not a good match, and they had to go. See below:

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Once the faucets and sinks were removed, a heat gun was used to melt the glue connecting the old laminate top to the plywood base. We used a flat bar to assist with separating the top from the base below, and we were able to get most of it out in a whole sheet without cracking it. The narrow piece in the galley forward of stove top did take a little more effort. It did not want to come out all in one piece and cracked in multiple places while trying to remove it.

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We decided to go back with laminate for the new tops, but white for the color. It’s easy to install, lightweight, and the white color provided a good contrast to the dark teak paneling and parkay floors. We reused the galley sink and sink in the v-berth, but the galley faucet, sink and faucet in the head, and faucet in the v-berth were replaced. See the finished tops and plumbing fixtures below:

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Flooring

In a perfect world it would have been great to put teak and holly flooring in the salon and galley, but the existing parkay flooring was still in very good condition and not in need of replacement. The carpet in the staterooms and the laminate in the head was a different story though. Whether it’s a house or a boat, old carpet is just not something that anyone wants. It was stained and worn out. The laminate was also in bad shape. It was peeling up and tearing around all of the edges. We ripped the carpet and tack strips out of both staterooms and removed the quarter-round and laminate from the head.

The new flooring that went into the staterooms is Cortec Plus XL Enhanced in the Everest oak finish. It’s a tongue and groove waterproof vinyl floor that is very easy to install. It is floating, so no glue or adhesives.

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For the bathroom we decided to use vinyl sheet flooring. The angles around the toilet where the deck follows the shape of the hull required something very flexible, and this flooring provided exactly what we needed.

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Teak – Clean and Oil

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Cleaning and oiling the teak paneling went a long way to preserving the classic look. Painting it would have completely changed the feel of the boat and was not an option we considered.

The interior paneling and cabinetry was still in pretty good shape with no stains, gouges, or large scratches to the wood so it did not require a lot of attention or time. We used Starbrite Teak Cleaner followed by Watco Teak oil. Both are very easy to use. The Starbrite cleaner was applied with a soft brush and scrubbed in lightly. After that, the wood was rinsed by wiping with a rag and fresh water. The teak oil was applied a using cloth with a liberal amount and reapplied to any areas that quickly absorbed all of the oil. Watco’s directions actually said to “flood” on a heavy application. All wood was then wiped thoroughly with a clean cloth, and any oil not absorbed into the wood removed. A second coat of oil was applied one hour after the first, repeating the same application process.

Furniture

We replaced all of the furniture and mattresses and also reconfigured the double bed in the master stateroom to two single beds. The thinking behind that move was that since the boat will be used for a lot of fishing trips, with multiple people (non-couples), it was best two have two individual beds.

The mattresses came from Philips and Tanner in Mobile, AL. We brought them the two old mattresses from the v-berth and gave them the dimensions we wanted for the two single mattresses in the master stateroom. They custom made exactly what we wanted and did a great job.

In the salon we went with a sofa, two swivel chairs, and a teak high/low coffee table. The table is expandable and can double as a dining table.

Here are a few before and after photos:

Salon

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Master Stateroom

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V-Berth

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We are very pleased with how the interior of Encore turned out. Maintaining the classic look of this Hatteras while incorporating new furniture and finishes was our primary goal and something we think we were able to accomplish.