Polycarbonate Bridge Enclosure

[Chip Prather]

Our bridge enclosure was replaced 4 years ago with new polycarbonate ($10,000). 4 years later there is considerable crazing and, on 2 of the rounded panels, what looks almost like old adhesive has appeared. The areas of most concern are in direct sunlight most of the day. The polycarbonate has only been cleaned with either fresh water or polycarbonate cleaner and polish. I have only used clean cotton rags (t-shirt material) or NEW microfiber towels to wipe or buff. Obviously I am disappointed in the apparent lack of longevity. So my questions for the group are:
-What is the expected life of a polycarbonate enclosure when cared for pursuant to manufacture recommendations?
-Other than what looks like adhesive, I’m guessing UV damage is the main issue. Are there different grades of polycarbonate or alternatives materials which last longer?
-A neighbor suggested we cover the areas directly exposed to the sun with Sunbrella but I worry that causes other problems (dirt between polycarbonate and the Sunbrella causing scratches). Any thought?
-I am considering having the damaged panels replaced (hopefully with a more robust product) - any red flags with that course of action?
Our only steering station is in the flybridge so the enclosure is important (can’t go without) since we spend 4 to 8 months aboard. Any and all suggestions are welcome - spending 10K every 4 or 5 years is ridiculous! Thank you for your considered input!

 

[sunchaser]

Not all poly carbonates and lexans are created equally. What brand and manufacturer is yours? Our Stamoid / GE Margard UV treated on both sides clears and curves remain glass clear after 6 years. Then there are the install techniques and how joined to the soft fabric with not all installers doing it the same using best practices.

I'd suggest you contact Walt Poulson / Codger who had his fly bridge clears done by a guy out of San Diego. Walt was quite satisfied and with his steering station up top needed a good setup.

 

[sunchaser]

One other thing, our vessel is not stored under over but does see a weakened PNW sun Vs SoCal, if that makes a difference.

 

[BandB]

Three keys:

1-Quality of material
2-Quality of installation. This includes storage provisions when open.
3-Quality of maintenance. This includes regular treatment for protection which I didn't see mentioned by you. Use only what is recommended by the manufacturer of the glass.

Our oldest is just under 8 years and still in excellent condition.

 

[kthoennes]

I started a thread a couple weeks about our bridge enclosure panels shattering into brittle little pieces at about 10*F (above zero). I know I'm talking about marine vinyl and yours is solid polycarb, and you're talking hazing and I'm talking flexibility, but we certainly learned the lesson mentioned above about material specifications. We had just gotten those window panels replaced in 2020, and our U/V exposure is a tiny fraction of say FL or CA, but now we have to do it all over again at considerable expense. Materials and specs are critically important. This time we got all fanatic and particular and had very specific talks with the new canvas shop. I'm sure I sounded like a fussy psycho about vinyl specs and manufacturers, but I'm not going to repeat the mistake of just accepting whatever the shop or service department gives me.

It's your money, don't be afraid to be particular.

 

[Comodave]

We had polycarbonate panels on our last boat for 5 years. They looked brand new when we sold the boat. We did the templating and a guy in Cape May, NJ made them and shipped them to us. They fit perfectly. If you have polycarbonate panels and you said Sunbrella was chaffing it are you sure it is Sunbrella? We had to use Stamoid because Sunbrella was too rough with the weave to bond to the polycarbonate.

 

[High Wire]

Check with the installer for warranty.

 

[tiltrider1]

Polycarbonate has no UV protection and will have a useful life of 3-4 years in the PNW. Probably only 2 years in Southern California. There are coated polycarbonate products out there that have a much longer useful life. As others have asked, exactly what product was used? Makrolon is a coated polycarbonate that I would expect a 10 year life out of. Plain Lexan is uncoated and would start to noticeably turn yellow after 2 years.