Looking for recommendations on replacements for Port and Starboard side windows on a Hunter Vision 32.
Port and Starboard Side Windows
- Thread starter Cajun Rory
- Start date
Not the small portals, but the long 7' window. Currently a single pane of transparent plastic on each side.
I had ours on the 40.5 done by a local plastics jobber. He insisted on using domestically-sourced acrylic. Ten years and holding up well. I also made a mistake on my Vision 32 by covering the acrylic with dark blue covers. The manufactures rep said it wasn't needed but if I felt I had to, use light colored covers. I'd suggest looking for a good-size plastics jobber in the area and getting a glazier recommendation from them. Make sure they remove the temporary retaining screws when the adhesive / sealant cures. Good luck. Well worth the effort.
Different expansion/contraction rates between the fiberglass deck and the acrylic ports equal cracks in the acrylic. That's also why there has to be some space made with spacers so that there can be enough Dow 795 sealant/adhesive to provide a cushion.
Hey Rick,
Do you recall who you used in long beach. I was just getting ready to order a 4x4 piece of acrylic to do it myself. Would really like to spend my time sailing not on maintenance.
Do you recall who you used in long beach. I was just getting ready to order a 4x4 piece of acrylic to do it myself. Would really like to spend my time sailing not on maintenance.
Marco Drovandi, M.D.I. 949 290-1069. No guarantee he still does it. It was about ten years ago. He did a wonderful job, even cleaning up after. Knows his stuff. Good luck.
CR
If you cant find them prefabricated they aren't to hard to copy. I live 5 hours from my boat so its hard for me to do it but you can take the old ones out and use them as a template for the new.
A. Lay the old acrylic on the paper and trace the profile exactly
B. Use a spray adhesive to mount template to new plastic (on top of protective film.)
C. Cut new plastic with jig saw leaving a 32nd inch or so of material beyond the edge .
D. Sand the edges down to the exact size. The better they are sanded the less the chance of cracking as pointed out by Rick D. ( I put a very slight radius to the edges on mine).
E. Reinstall.
The only problem with all of this is time, and the fact that you have to have the old plastic out to make templates ( since I live so far from the boat I had to cover the hole with 1/4 inch plywood while I took the old plastic home to fabricate the new. If you live near your boat it would be much easier.
If you cant find them prefabricated they aren't to hard to copy. I live 5 hours from my boat so its hard for me to do it but you can take the old ones out and use them as a template for the new.
A. Lay the old acrylic on the paper and trace the profile exactly
B. Use a spray adhesive to mount template to new plastic (on top of protective film.)
C. Cut new plastic with jig saw leaving a 32nd inch or so of material beyond the edge .
D. Sand the edges down to the exact size. The better they are sanded the less the chance of cracking as pointed out by Rick D. ( I put a very slight radius to the edges on mine).
E. Reinstall.
The only problem with all of this is time, and the fact that you have to have the old plastic out to make templates ( since I live so far from the boat I had to cover the hole with 1/4 inch plywood while I took the old plastic home to fabricate the new. If you live near your boat it would be much easier.
Thanks Rick. Makes sense. One of my windows had screws the other didn't. I wasn't sure which was correct.
Try mark plastics they fabricated the fixed windows for Hunter in the 1980s & 90s and they fabricated exact fit replacements for my h34 four years ago. If they can't help you try tap plastics they can fabricate just about anything.
I made paper patterns to replace the acrylic in my H34 fixed portlites. Took the patterns to Tap Plastics and they cut perfect fitting pieces.