Plastic Portlight

FourPoints

FourPoints

.
Apr 8, 2010
1,606
Frers 33 41426 Westport, CT
I have a plastic portlight on the starboard side of the hull in the aft berth. This was scuffed so badly when I bought the boat you could only see light and shadows through it.

Last year I figured it couldn't get any worse, so I lightly hit it with the buffer when polishing with Finesse-IT, and it made a big difference. Wasn't great, but I could make out boats and colors through it. Yesterday I was polishing the hull, and gave it a good heavy polish with t
Finesse-IT on a blue 3M pad at 1500 RPM, and it's perfectly crystal clear now!!!
:dance::dance:
 
centerline

centerline

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Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
its nice to be able to see thru the portlights and that you can get a couple more years from it by polishing it...

the plastic portlights can be polished like any other plastic such as gelcoat or paint.
(so many people overlook the fact that paint is actually just a colored plastic spray coating)

but the portlight is getting old and due to the type of clear plastic that it is, it doesnt have the as much uv protection built into it so it has started to deteriorate. like a headlight lens on a vehicle... and even though you can polish it out, it wont stay as clear as long as a new one would... but after polishing it, if you keep a good quality wax on it,, it will maximize the time it will remain clear until the need for re-polishing....
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

.
Feb 26, 2004
22,776
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
UV? Aw, 'cmon cl...:)

Toothpaste has been known to work, too.

So now you have a clear port, so yoour wife needs to make a curtain for it.

I left the port in our head go opaque for good reason. :) :eek: Mostly to save our neighbors' sensibilities...:D
 
centerline

centerline

.
Mar 20, 2012
3,983
Cal 34-III, MacGregor 25 Salem, Oregon
Stu Jackson said:
UV? Aw, 'cmon cl...:)

Toothpaste has been known to work, too.

So now you have a clear port, so yoour wife needs to make a curtain for it.

I left the port in our head go opaque for good reason. :) :eek: Mostly to save our neighbors' sensibilities...:D
Click to expand
what i mean is some plastics have better UV resistance than others... I dont now what brand of portlight it is, but some age faster than others..
when they get enough years in the sun the plastic starts to degrade at a higher rate... causing hazing, crazing, brittleness and it will ultimately need to be replaced.... clear and light colored plastics degrade faster than colored plastics of the same material.
portlights may be affected less to a large degree because they are mostly inside the boat and are never subjected to full sun all day, but leave an old one outside for a 2-3 years in full sun and you will see it begin to haze and start slowly becoming opaque.... and more so as it gets older..
and its not only the portlights, but the plastic lens in the deck hatches weather faster as they are more in direct sun for a longer period....

my boat has lewmar ocean series hatches with acrylic lenses and they are well on their way to hazing past the point of seeing clearly thru them with some crazing also..... but i will replace the lens rather than buff it due to the continuing sun damage being done to an already crazed lens. the one on the foredeck is much worse than the one on the cabin top under the boom.... but for some, buffing is a good option to restore the lens for a few more years...:D
 
FourPoints

FourPoints

.
Apr 8, 2010
1,606
Frers 33 41426 Westport, CT
No crazing on the portlight, its same the smoked grey plastic that hunter used for main cabin windows. Those have a few scuffs on them in places, I'm going to polish them out this summer as well. Finished the waxing and bottom paint at 11pm last night, ready to splash as soon as I get some paint under the pads.

Btw, waxing after dark is actually really nice. The wax dries so much more consistent then when it's sunny! It helps there are large security flood lights nearby to illuminate the boat for me.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

.
Feb 26, 2004
22,776
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
centerline said:
my boat has lewmar ocean series hatches with acrylic lenses and they are well on their way to hazing past the point of seeing clearly thru them with some crazing also..... but i will replace the lens rather than buff it due to the continuing sun damage being done to an already crazed lens. the one on the foredeck is much worse than the one on the cabin top under the boom.... but for some, buffing is a good option to restore the lens for a few more years...:D
Click to expand
You're right. That's why I never quite understood the "allure" of clear hatches in V berths. Skippers continue to RAVE about the extra light they let in. Then, 'cuz of what you just said, they spend $$ to make fancy Sunbrella covers! Hmm...I don't quite get THAT logic...:)
 
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