fixed window material?

Jul 7, 2004
8,496
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Does anyone know what the 3 fixed windows on my '91 30T are made of? When we bought it we had them all resealed because one leaked. I saw a (new?) leak from a crack in the window. Was the crack there before the windows were resealed, I don't know. I am hoping that I can run a little superglue or something else based on what they are made of in the crack to seal it. I thought that might be better than smearing caulk over it. The crack is about 1" long from the upper edge.
 
Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
depending on where the crack is in the port you can try a soldering iron to melt the crack shut. It will not be pretty but it will not leak either. If you are familiar with electric arch welding the motion is the same or copy your old uncle's palsy shake. Guys with palsy make the best welders.
 

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,636
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
poylcarbonate is what you're after. cuts with band saw etc., drills and sands well, and it's tough as nails. my glass supplier says you can drive a nail through it without breaking, but I didn't try that ;) . should be available at most glass shops, and comes in a 4x8 sheet that they can cut down to whatever size you need. enough to replace all four of my windows (Mac 25) was about $80.00
 

Pat

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Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
Justin, Patrick here...was walking by your boat earlier this afternoon but did not notice the crack. You might go to some of the companies...between Washington and say Patti that do the aircraft windows for everyone around here...I think the one I go to is on Indiana...they made several hatch replacements for me and did a great job...I'll go by this evening and get you an address. Patrick
 
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
it will be acrylic.

plexiglass is acrylic and as far plastics go, it has a high scratch resistance, and will withstand a moderatly high impact when new, but the impact resistance goes down over time
lexan is polycarbonate, which has a very low scratch resistance, and can be scratched/permanently smudged simply by wiping it too hard with a dry towel (or even by rubbing your finger on the surface), but it has an extremely high impact resistance (1/2" and thicker are bullet-proof) and will remain so for many years....

but the good news is, both materials can be purchased with an armor coating on the surface that makes them even more scratch resistant.... the bad news is that the coating can wear off before the life of the plastic fades....

acrylic is a bit cheaper than polycarbonate, but the armor coating on either, adds significantly to the price.

I would always choose the acrylic over the polycarbonate, unless, 1... I was expecting someone to be shooting at me.. or 2.... it had to be very thin material and I expected it to take some very sharp blows against it... because it scratches and hazes over so easily.

the acrylic in 3/8" and up can take some good impact without damage, and when you get into the 7/16" and 1/2" thicknesses, you are beginning to equal the fiberglass you are bolting it to... 1/2" and thicker acrylic is commonly used to create frameless windows, that bolt to the cabin trunk on bluewater cruisers.

polycarbonate is a good product and is shied away from ONLY because of its so easy to smudge/scratch....and the cost of the armor coating that can wear off over time, or be etched away with some common acids.
 
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Jul 7, 2004
8,496
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Justin, Patrick here...was walking by your boat earlier this afternoon but did not notice the crack. You might go to some of the companies...between Washington and say Patti that do the aircraft windows for everyone around here...I think the one I go to is on Indiana...they made several hatch replacements for me and did a great job...I'll go by this evening and get you an address. Patrick
Hey Patrick, thanks for the info. The crack is on the stbd side. Might not be easy to see from the outside but my cushion is wet. Saw the trickle from the window.

Thanks all for the valuable feedback everyone!
 

Dan_Y

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Oct 13, 2008
519
Hunter 36 Hampton
Depending on how bad it is... on our '91 30T I drilled a very small hole through the Plexiglas at the end of the crack to stop it from propagating, then cleaned the surface and placed tape on either side of the crack and hole and applied a cement I bought from a plastic shop. Was a temporary measure until I had new panels made. I have a new set of 4 Lewmar size 0 "old style" smoked port lenses. PM me if interested. We sold the boat before I could install them.
 
Sep 3, 2012
195
Hunter 285 Grand Rivers Ky
My guess is the crack itself is not the actual leak. More likely whatever caused the crack is where the leak actually is.

Been through this on two different boats.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,496
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I'm going to reexamine this problem with a hose and a helper to really isolate this. My other leak is on the port side. Water is appearing out from under the foam hull liner just forward of the nav desk.. A stanchion base perhaps? This one bothers me more than the window.