Dodger window clouding

[capta]

One side panel on our dodger is clouding.
Has anyone found anything which will reverse this or at least slow it down?
It's not like we haven't gotten pretty good service out of the dodger after 8 years in the tropical sun, but I'd just as soon not have to replace it yet.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I've used som mirror glaze products when I had my TR3. Works amazingly on cars so should work on your dodger

Les

 

[thinwater]

I've done a bunch of testing for Practical Sailor. The testing is on-going and includes all common vinyl brands, coated and uncoated. We've had ~ 50 vinyl samples on a test rack for about 7 years, with many treatment permutations.

1. If the clouding is only on rainy days a coat of any good protectant (Imar, Starbrite Clear, Novus, Sudbury) on both sides will stop it. This is common with non-coated vinyl, or coated vinyl that has been buffed a lot.
2. If the clouding is embedded surface due and plastisizer bleed, a good buffing with Imar will do it.
3. If the problem is UV-induced breakdown, the only cure is blocking the son with a cover. At this time, there is no solid evidence that "protectants" make a difference, other than improving beading (which improves visibility in the rain) and cleaning very effectively. If we need to apply sunscreen every few hours, why would we expect a wax to last more than a few days or a week?
4. No, you cannot buff-out internal hazing. You can make it look better by eliminating micro-scratches and really getting the surface clean, but you will forever be prone to humidity hazing and will need wax regularly.

Judging from the line in the haze, I'm guessing the problem is internal UV damage. But the first step is a good buffing with Imar. Practical Sailor covered how-too (May, 2014). The best way involves taking it off and working on a firm, padded surface. Keep it wet.
https://www.practical-sailor.com/issues/37_41/features/Restoring-Clear-vinyl-Windows_11395-1.html
This one was obviously partially covered.

This one is 20 years old but was always covered.

http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2013/09/to-cover-or-not-to-cover.html

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

It depends on what kind of 'glass', e, g., strataglass, eisenglass, etc that dictates what may help. I don't recall what our dodger guy recommended as he does it, not me, but remember him saying it makes a difference.

 

[SG]

You said: "one side panel". If the rest are okay, how about replacing just that one panel?

 

[capta]

You said: "one side panel". If the rest are okay, how about replacing just that one panel?

I kinda expect the rest to follow suit, so I'm trying to get ahead of it.

 

[Ken Cross]

Just don't use Windex. I'm told that causes the problem.

Ken

 

[SG]

Windex WITHOUT Amoninia is okay; but any cleaner with Amononia is BAD. It is hard on the plasticsizers which protects the plastic.

I try and get all my Windex amoninia free, even for the house and car.

 

[seadaddler]

My windows were so bad with clouding and marks that I thought I needed to replace them but after
checking the Cost $$$$$$ OMG.
Any way I saw I think on the internet and what I did was get this Meguiar's PlastX and a small orange buffing pad on a portable drill and just like you would compound a boat or car just put the liquid Plastx on the windows
and buff it into on the windows until you see marks scratches and clouding disappear.
It was night and Day and hard to believe how so much better and really look like I replaced them.
A year later I now use 210-Plus and is a cleaner & polish, once the hard work is done with PlastX I use 210
as often as possibly to keep them clean and polished seems to help them stay looking good and never use any strong soap and only use nice soft rags.
nick

 

[Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi]

My boat neighbor let me try Plexus Saturday. I have dreplaced 3 panels last summer at a cost of around $900 and thought I had three more this spring to do. Tried the Plexus and it made enough difference I can probably defer that expense for another year. Mine are never covered and this is Year 15. A can of this stuff on Amazon is $21 plus some change. I ordered one yesterday and will see how it works on the rest this weekend. I have some messed up spots where my center panel was rolled up that it didn't help. I'm going to use Seadaddler's Maguires product on those areas and see how that works.

Thinwater seems to have a good grip on his recommendations, so he is probably more right than anybody.

 

[Capt Robbie]

I made snap on canvas sun covers to go over the glass when not in use and got 28 years out of my glass before having to replace

 

[LakeShark]

Ok so I have to throw in 1 crazy recommendation here. On my dodger on a Catalina 30 I used to use pledge furniture polish from the aerosol can. Cleaned them once before every trip or 3 and it worked great. No long term damage to the glass and they looked like new even though they were 15 plus years old. Just had to throw that one out there so take it for what it's worth.