Replacing Plexi ...

[palacegrand]

Hi Folks,
I need to do a rebedding of the cabin ports, and perhaps replace a couple of panels.

Has anyone replaced the smoked plexi with clear? I find that in the evening or morning the smoked cuts down too much sunlight. Can't think that clear would be too bright, after all that's what the curtains are for, right?

Thoughts or experiences?

Thanks,
jcm

 

[Barnacle Bill]

I have clear ports on my boat and it is fine. Lexan is stronger than acrylic plexiglass, but also softer so scratches easier. As you say, the curtains keep out the sunlight if too bright or hot.

 

[bobknosp]

windows

I replaced mine with lexan, and they already need buffing. The windows are small, and I think next time I'll use safety glass. The window mountings are flat, so the only problem I see with that is accidentally banging something sharp against them.

 

[Rizzman]

I used Makrolon AR which is Lexan with an abrasion coating for scratch resistance. You have to sand off the coating where the adhesive makes contact but it worked great for the windows on my 36. Just make sure you use a glue like Sikaflex 295UV which is specially for polycarbonate.

http://www.totalplastics.com/products/56

-Bob

 

[Maine Sail]

Ideally

Ideally you want to use cast acrylic and not the extruded stuff. Boat builders and hatch makers use cast acrylic for it's longevity and stiffness.

 

[Edhavana]

I am with Rizzman. I think the polycarb with AR coating will be the best solution.

I will be using this material when I replace the port lights on Sarah V (Yamaha 37) we are buying from Russ. Russ has babied his boat and we will continu the tradition.

This is a dream come true for me and a love affair with yamaha's going back to 1993.

fair winds,

Ed Serra

 

[palacegrand]

Port replacement update

Ideally you want to use cast acrylic and not the extruded stuff. Boat builders and hatch makers use cast acrylic for it's longevity and stiffness.

Thanks for the comments folks.
Not an offshore vessel and the actual port sizes are not too large so Lexan would be overkill, and yes too easily scratched. Current ports not scratched so I'm thinking it's the cast plexi.

Industrial Paint & Plastics here on Vancouver Island gave me the following ballpark costs. (obviously Cdn $)
Plexi:
4' x 8' @ 1/4" extruded = $250ish
4' x 8' @ 1/4" cast = $350ish
Lexan MR 10: (Mar Resistant)
4' x 8' @ 3/16" = $470ish
4' x 8' @ 1/4" = $525ish

Ouch! Funds available say I will probably go with the cast Plexi in clear.
I can do all the cutting/edging/drilling etc myself as they're pretty straightforward shapes, not tight curves. One long section, divided into 3 smaller pieces. (see photo) The actual ports themselves are approx 30" x 9" so I don't think I need to go any thicker than 1/4" plexi.

It seems that this might become a more pressing project. Temporarily fixed the one side that had leaked and made the original posting. Then last weekend went to the boat & found the other side had a major leak. Also temporarily fixed. A month ago the port side cushions were dry (where I sit & read at night), but even an open container under the settee had water in it this time! We did have some pretty strong winds and high rainfall. Sigh .....

Will wait till I start getting some warmer/drier weather, like April?
jcm

 

[Zelda]

I just replaced the windows on my Y30 a 6 months ago. After months of research I decided to go with sealant only. Sikaflex 295uv and 2 primers one for each surface. I made a call to my local sika sales rep and he walked me through the process. A good resource for sure. The key to the whole process is proper surface prep and bead thickness of the sealant. The ports are much smaller than the actual plexi so you end up with a good 2" to seal all the way around more than enough. So I used a 3/4"W x 1/4"D double sided foam glazing tape to hold the windows in place while the 1" wide strip of sealant dried. (1 shot to place the window so get help). After I used lots of masking tape and did a finish bead inside and out. This method allows all the expansion the sealant needs by keeping the bead 1/4" thick. No screws means no cracks and the plexi curves beautifully. Also I took the 3 pieces and made it into 2 even sizes blunting the front point to 2.5" high. Looks good and a little stronger. Don't waste time millling it yourself as I took the old windows down to a fabricator and they supplied (cast plexi from left over pieces), cut and altered the shape on a cnc (perfect) for $400 can. Took 2 days to get them back. Call ahead and you can get it done same day. Finally..."cover you decks". Sikaflex is wonderful stuff but what a mess. Process took 16 hours, 8 hours just to get everything clean, and I decided to finish Yamaha's job and glass fill the holes between the cabin inside liner and outside deck. Yamaha only filled about half and I wanted more glue space. Project isn't for the faint hearted but is worth the time. I try to post some pics soon.

Spence

 

[Zelda]

As far as the your question of clear or smoked, I would have to say smoked plexi unless you want to look at the sealant. The only way around seeing the sealant is to use a vinyl wrap on the outside and cut out the ports. Might look odd though.

Spence