I am thinking of buying a 26D and wonder how hard it is to replace the windows on either side of the cabin? thanks in advance, Lori
Replacing windows on a 26D
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IdaSailor
Try these guys, they sell them. Great people to work with! Someday you'll want their performance rudder too!
Try these guys, they sell them. Great people to work with! Someday you'll want their performance rudder too!
thanks and what about polishing
Thanks! Your link was just what I needed. Have you ever heard of anyone trying to polish their windows to get rid of the "pink"? I have heard from other boat owners that you can actually polish windows and make a big difference. Lori
Thanks! Your link was just what I needed. Have you ever heard of anyone trying to polish their windows to get rid of the "pink"? I have heard from other boat owners that you can actually polish windows and make a big difference. Lori
not likely
Lori, glad the site worked for you. I added another that you may want to refer to. I don't think you can polish out the pink. It's not a glazing but a discoloration caused by UV rays. The ones on my '92 are stabilized and stay black.
Lori, glad the site worked for you. I added another that you may want to refer to. I don't think you can polish out the pink. It's not a glazing but a discoloration caused by UV rays. The ones on my '92 are stabilized and stay black.
Window Removal
Macgregor did not use the more expesive UV protected plastic (or it wasn't available then) and the pink goes all the way through. Kind of like antique glass that changes color in the sun. When you remove yours, consider getting some safety wire and attach two pegs to the ends and "saw" the wire under the window to break the bond between hull and window. I marveled at how well the original adhesive had held up on mine. John S Boise
Macgregor did not use the more expesive UV protected plastic (or it wasn't available then) and the pink goes all the way through. Kind of like antique glass that changes color in the sun. When you remove yours, consider getting some safety wire and attach two pegs to the ends and "saw" the wire under the window to break the bond between hull and window. I marveled at how well the original adhesive had held up on mine. John S Boise
Thanks again
Thanks again for the information. I like that other site...very helpful to have a manual etc. I think you are right about the windows. Luckily not too expensive or hard to fix. Lori
Thanks again for the information. I like that other site...very helpful to have a manual etc. I think you are right about the windows. Luckily not too expensive or hard to fix. Lori
sealant?
What sealant are you guys using when you replace the windows? I'm going through it right now, and since I abhor silicone, I decided to use my favorite all-purpose sealant, 3M 4200. Well that stuff doesn't stick well to the slick acrylic...it basically pulled off my first window (plus I didn't apply enough, but that's another story). So what I ended up doing was scuffing the edges of the acrylic with a scuff pad, and that let the 4200 hold a little better, but not nearly as tenaciously as the original sealant. Then again, that may not be so bad.... Man, was that a nightmare to remove! What really helped me get the leftover stuff off the boat after I removed the old acrylic was gasoline. Rub some on there, let it sit a minute, then it started coming off in larger pieces. But it still took a while.
What sealant are you guys using when you replace the windows? I'm going through it right now, and since I abhor silicone, I decided to use my favorite all-purpose sealant, 3M 4200. Well that stuff doesn't stick well to the slick acrylic...it basically pulled off my first window (plus I didn't apply enough, but that's another story). So what I ended up doing was scuffing the edges of the acrylic with a scuff pad, and that let the 4200 hold a little better, but not nearly as tenaciously as the original sealant. Then again, that may not be so bad.... Man, was that a nightmare to remove! What really helped me get the leftover stuff off the boat after I removed the old acrylic was gasoline. Rub some on there, let it sit a minute, then it started coming off in larger pieces. But it still took a while.
Sealant Removal
I am still cleaning the old sealant off of my hull. I decided to put back clear rtv as it had held up well in this application. I also opened up my galley area windows and covered them with bigger pieces of clear acrylic. I put an opening porthole in the head, but even if I hadn't, I'd have opened up that shrimpy hole to let in more light... John S Boise
I am still cleaning the old sealant off of my hull. I decided to put back clear rtv as it had held up well in this application. I also opened up my galley area windows and covered them with bigger pieces of clear acrylic. I put an opening porthole in the head, but even if I hadn't, I'd have opened up that shrimpy hole to let in more light... John S Boise
What is RTV?
Sorry for being so ignorant but what is RTV? Also how much sealant did you use (in other words did you put a 1/4" bead of sealant around the edge of window or more or less?) Lori
Sorry for being so ignorant but what is RTV? Also how much sealant did you use (in other words did you put a 1/4" bead of sealant around the edge of window or more or less?) Lori
RTV
That is short for room temprature vulcanising. Vulcanising used to be the process whereby sap from the rubber plant was turned into rubber with heat. Nowadays, products like silicone seal and others are room temperature vulcanising to form their rubber like material. I used a great amount of sealant, marine silicone seal, to cover as much area as possible, like the original installer did. I really only want to mess with rtv once on a project- it's hard to get off of my hands. Some folks use just enough sealant to let a bead extrude when the mounting screws are tightened and then trim after it sets. Others concerned with a compression seal allow the sealant to set, then torque down the fasteners. The fasteners on your window only locate the pane of acrylic, they have very little compression strength so tighten them before the sealant sets. You can see my enlarged window openings at the link John S Boise
That is short for room temprature vulcanising. Vulcanising used to be the process whereby sap from the rubber plant was turned into rubber with heat. Nowadays, products like silicone seal and others are room temperature vulcanising to form their rubber like material. I used a great amount of sealant, marine silicone seal, to cover as much area as possible, like the original installer did. I really only want to mess with rtv once on a project- it's hard to get off of my hands. Some folks use just enough sealant to let a bead extrude when the mounting screws are tightened and then trim after it sets. Others concerned with a compression seal allow the sealant to set, then torque down the fasteners. The fasteners on your window only locate the pane of acrylic, they have very little compression strength so tighten them before the sealant sets. You can see my enlarged window openings at the link John S Boise
Good call
John is right and I would add use latex or vinyl gloves when doing this. I work with many different kinds of chemicals and adhesives. I keep several boxes of vinyl gloves around so I can keep stuff off of my hands. Nitrile are ok too. Just my kinky way of staying clean and keeping so many cleaning fluids from drying out my skin. Steve P.
John is right and I would add use latex or vinyl gloves when doing this. I work with many different kinds of chemicals and adhesives. I keep several boxes of vinyl gloves around so I can keep stuff off of my hands. Nitrile are ok too. Just my kinky way of staying clean and keeping so many cleaning fluids from drying out my skin. Steve P.
lots of sealant
I too used far more than I thought I would need. I messed up on attaching the first window...I didn't use enough sealant and I tightened down too much to compensate. The windows come stock with a ton of sealant on there...mine was over 1/4" thick between the acrylic window and the side of the boat. So if you use a nice fat 1" bead (as much as 1" can be called a "bead") you'll get excess spilling out the sides, but at least it'll form a good seal without you torquing down on the screws and potentially cracking the window or bending it too much.
I too used far more than I thought I would need. I messed up on attaching the first window...I didn't use enough sealant and I tightened down too much to compensate. The windows come stock with a ton of sealant on there...mine was over 1/4" thick between the acrylic window and the side of the boat. So if you use a nice fat 1" bead (as much as 1" can be called a "bead") you'll get excess spilling out the sides, but at least it'll form a good seal without you torquing down on the screws and potentially cracking the window or bending it too much.
Sharing a mistake
CP Mike is a great guy for sharing a mistake. One might want to tape these windows in place and run some painters tape around the edges of the windows on the cabin side. This would just be to catch any sealant that squeezes out. Don't put the masking tape on the window, just the boat to avoid a messy cleanup. Just an idea. Steve P.
CP Mike is a great guy for sharing a mistake. One might want to tape these windows in place and run some painters tape around the edges of the windows on the cabin side. This would just be to catch any sealant that squeezes out. Don't put the masking tape on the window, just the boat to avoid a messy cleanup. Just an idea. Steve P.
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