Alternative ways of fitting windows to a boat

[Chris Green]

We have a little steel diesel powered boat (in France, but that's not relevant really). It's getting on for 50 years old, we've owned it for a bit more than 10 years.

The windows and their mounts are getting tatty and beginning to leak a bit so I'm thinking of replacing them.

The existing windows are of two types, some are simply held in by a twin-grooved rubber section, others have aluminium frames which are (somehow, haven't really investigated yet) fixed to the steel superstructure.

I'd prefer a replacement which is a bit easier to maintain than the existing ones, i.e. I'd like to be able to remove the windows and clean up the steel surround etc. All of the window 'holes' are just a cut out in the 5mm (approximately) steel superstructure. They are all flat, no curved glass, and are presently single glazed.

There is some (a few cm.) flat space round all the holes.

What sort of ways are there of fitting windows to this sort of structure?

Could one get slightly oversize polycarbonate and simply screw them on with a sealing strip? Apart from anything else that would make the dimensions less critical, all that's needed is sufficient overlap.

[Colin Bignell]

Perspex is inherently UV resistant, while polycarbonate needs a UV protective coating, which probably won't be on the cut edges. It is also advisable to have the holes oversize, using large washers and soft gaskets under them, to allow for differential thermal expansion of the two materials.

[Brian Gaff]

I'd imagine it would be OK for insure use, but how likely is it to encounter rough sees and the like? I remember a rough crossing to Sark in the 80s cracked several windows. This was on a boat designed for passenger use. Brian

[Chris Green]

Yes, I know polycarbonate needs UV protection but it's much tougher and easier not to crack than Perspex.

[Chris Green]

It's an inland waterways boat, no rough seas likely! :-)

[Animal]

ali is readily cleaned up with an abrasive. Leaks are usually sortable with silicone or ms polymer.

Yes. Be wary of too much force on the screwholes, those plastics are not tough.

Car/plant style rubber strip is simpler for fixed lights.

[fred]

We had problems with an opening alulminium framed cabin window some years back (It was leaking around the frame) We took the window off its hinges and sent the whole thing to these people rto reconditiion it

.

They gave excellent service and were very helpful

[Chris Green]

The leaks are in the joints between aluminium and steel, not between glass and aluminium.

[Chris Green]

fred [e-mail] wrote: [snip]

They look very useful, I will get in touch with them, thank you!

[Thomas Prufer]

That rubber strip may be replaceable?

ISTR it goes in easily enough if soaked in hot water, and a string in the channel to get the window in place. Press glass in place pull *hard* on the string, and the channel will open to accept the glass.

(though uses a "special" tool)

(oldschool with string, on a VW beetle, say at

2:00).

Thomas Prufer