Save-A-Boat - The Forum for Plastic Classic Rebuilds!

So I've finally gotten around to posting some of the picts of my long drawn out insulation project. You might ask what isn't long a drawn out when it comes to boats, but this has been going on now for one and a quarter years. This has been a full year longer than I naively thought, a cold one at that I might add. However, the boat is now getting warmer and drier these days and light is beginning to show around the corner, if only I knew how to work with wood...

There is also installing a diesel heater and replacing the main cabin windows, minor projects in the way of the insulation...

Enjoy. http://theworldtrekker.smugmug.com/Boats

Can you tell me more about the replacement windows you put in? Like what kind are they? Where did you get them? Were they custom made to your dimensions? etc...

Thanks,

I feel your pain with the insulation project. I too started one about a year ago after reading how an aggresive 2-3 days was sufficient to get the job done. I don't know what that author was smoking or what sort of job they were doing but a good job takes MUCH more time than a long weekend.

The good news is that you will enjoy the benefits for a long time but there are times in my own case where I wonder if it was all worth it. I suppose the pain will subside while the joys remain. At least I keep telling myself that.

-Britton

Tim,
Ah, a question I can answer. The replacement windows are from Bomon Marine in Canada. I talked with Mark Plastics down in CA who made the original Cal windows which I think the boat might have had when I got it. They each had a polycarb sticker on them yet Mark swore up and down he only ever used acrylic for some moisture related fogging issue or another. Anyway, he wanted ~$200/per window for plastic trimmed ones that could not be opened up to replace the 'glass' inside.

Bomon's windows have a two part AL frame that is easy to open and replace the 'glass' inside. They sell a sailboat version but I was directed away from that by a very helpful sales rep (William). You can opt for true glass or polycarb in the window, I choose the later. The cost was about $260/per window plus a bit for shipping and beloved bank charges of 1% for an international order.

All were custom sized. The original holes were terribly cut. Both Mark Plastics and Bomon recommended going up at least 1/8" all round to help this. I chose to make both fore windows and both aft windows the same size--something that the holes required extra work to achieve. At no extra cost (in Williams own works, "no, no, it's free. We'll get it in the end") they send out full sized CAD printouts for you to check the measurements you sent them. It took about 7 weeks for them to arrive on my doorstep in a huge box which the cats are still enjoying (so you can subtract one fun cat toy from the project cost).

All 4 went in nicely, flexing slightly to the curve of the wall (perhaps I should have had Bomon prebend them like they offered). They seal with a high density closed cell foam. The 'glass' is held in with a EPDM rubber seal that if it starts to leak William said to simply push it in a bit farther (tapered gasket type thing). So far, no leaks.

Two last comments about the polycarb. I chose it because it won't shatter and it conducts about 1/4 the heat of glass (I think). Well, while polycarb is a wonderful bullet stopper it does scratch somewhat easily. And while the polycarb doesn't conduct the heat that glass does, AL frames sure do... Oh well, I like them much better than the plastic frames that were there.

catamount wrote:Can you tell me more about the replacement windows you put in? Like what kind are they? Where did you get them? Were they custom made to your dimensions? etc...

Thanks,