JT and Estee
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2019
- Messages
- 30
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Dragonfly
- Vessel Make
- Carver 450 Voyager Pilothouse
Uh oh! We shattered our side window made of safety glass. When closing our side door one night just before a 4 day trip, the door edge caught the side of the frameless window glass and shattered it.
We taped the window to keep it intact during the night then removed the shattered glass in the morning. We installed plastic tarp and duct tape in the morning and went on our trip. (which was lovely despite the broken window!)
Now that we are back in our home marina we are researching window replacement.
A. We emailed Carver and they sent us the drawing and a contact at the manufacturer, Trend Marine (of Taylor Made corporation). Unfortunately its been a series of emails of employees who are furloughed and so far no concrete reply. Still working on this.
B. We started investigating Lexan instead of safety glass. Benefits are that it would be lighter, stronger, and available quickly and also comes in the same thickness as the current window, .25 inches. Not sure about how it will look, however.
C. We finally tracked down someone who might be an installer, he will come by the boat someday this week and take a look.
1) Any thoughts or concerns about Lexan as a replacement for the glass?
2) The original window was "glued" onto the boat. We still need to remove the last bits of glued on glass and the glue. What is the best way to do this and not damage the fiberglass?
3) If we use the Lexan, we will probably do the installation ourselves. What type of sealant is recommended to adhere it to the fiberglass? Any other suggestions?
Thanks.
We taped the window to keep it intact during the night then removed the shattered glass in the morning. We installed plastic tarp and duct tape in the morning and went on our trip. (which was lovely despite the broken window!)
Now that we are back in our home marina we are researching window replacement.
A. We emailed Carver and they sent us the drawing and a contact at the manufacturer, Trend Marine (of Taylor Made corporation). Unfortunately its been a series of emails of employees who are furloughed and so far no concrete reply. Still working on this.
B. We started investigating Lexan instead of safety glass. Benefits are that it would be lighter, stronger, and available quickly and also comes in the same thickness as the current window, .25 inches. Not sure about how it will look, however.
C. We finally tracked down someone who might be an installer, he will come by the boat someday this week and take a look.
1) Any thoughts or concerns about Lexan as a replacement for the glass?
2) The original window was "glued" onto the boat. We still need to remove the last bits of glued on glass and the glue. What is the best way to do this and not damage the fiberglass?
3) If we use the Lexan, we will probably do the installation ourselves. What type of sealant is recommended to adhere it to the fiberglass? Any other suggestions?
Thanks.