design ramblings of a madman (windows)

[juiceclark]

I always try to take notice when more than a few of the commercial fishermen I talk to say they like or dislike things on their boat. One thing they all seem to prefer are the trawler style windows with the top forward to keep water, ice, etc. off the glass a bit more than the back-slanted type most commonly used. This would allow more flybridge and more foredeck. Moreover, down here in sunny FL you won't have the sun beating into the salon - baking and fading everything.

I've often thought how to utilize this commercial design into a sportfishing boat without it looking totally weird. Has anyone seen a cool design for this in a, otherwise, fairly normal looking 50' sportfisherman??

Tony in Sw FL


some inspiration from this website:

http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/9350
genius:
http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/5726
and
http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1809
http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1810
rounded instead of slanted:
http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/1051

[FAST FRED]

The tilted windows also are more friendly in reducing sun glare. and the outward tilt keeps internal dash and other lights from reflecting as easily.

FF

[rasorinc]

hi, take a look at coastal craft built in washington state. their whole line has outward windows and they look great. stan

[juiceclark]

That is a nice boat. I really looked at it and it's obvious somebody with some time offshore made the plans.

http://www.coastalcraft.com/420.html

But at least it's more of a fast trawler style. I just can't imagine how to work those backward window lines into the sleeker shape of a sportfish. http://www.bertram.com/

Even the rounded and vertical design I think is so smart:
http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/5726
has escaped my imagination on a sportfish. I only expect our design to be a 25k boat...so aerodynamics are not paramount. But looks sell boats and I don't want a potential buyer to see a cruising boat sitting there rather than an offshore battle wagon. They'll never find out how nice those windows are if they don't buy it.
-------

Fred, Yeah, I hate that when the gauges are all reflecting off the glass...blinding and ridiculous.

Tony

[buckknekkid]

traditional only for me

[fiberglass jack]

Ray are you going to the boatshow, I will be at the rayplex booth sat and sun 12th 13th and the following friday

[gonzo]

The forward slanting windows allow the crew to lean out and see the deck

[buckknekkid]

Ray are you going to the boatshow, I will be at the rayplex booth sat and sun 12th 13th and the following friday

Yes I'll be the guy with the sign that says " will work for Gas' :p :p :p I need a 300 gallon container full . call me when my passes are available :D

[longliner45]

forward slanting windows,,,are for one thing,,to keep the glare down ,,they started doing this in the 70s

[kach22i]

Press boxes in stadiums also slant inward because of glare and the view angle down to the field. However for buildings most window manufacturers will not warranty if more than 15 degrees is used. Becomes an inverted skylight or something past 15 degrees or maybe fear of stressing the glass out of the frame I'm not exactly sure why to tell the truth.

Inverted angle glass is disappearing out of military watercraft because of stealth considerations.

[longliner45]

because of what gonzo said,,,,,school busses should have this also

[juiceclark]

Yes, yes, yes! But as that Billy Crystol character on old Sat. Night Live used to say...."it's not how you feeeeel, it's how you look!" Anyone with a design that can make a sleek, Bertram like sportfish look good with backward slanted salon windows deserves a Nobel Prize. (I mean really deserves one...not like alGore) It's going to take a whole new approach from the bow.

[longliner45]

container boats ,,work boats and fishing boats,are more saftey functional,like gonzo says,,,,so the capton can lean forward in the wheelhouse and see his crewman ,moving a item or doing a task,for them the glare part is a byproduct ,,good thing ,,for the fisherman ,,the antiglare thing is a nessesity,,,,to see fish,,and it takes alot of strain off the eyes,if you want pretty ,,thats cool too,,you can put a nice visor over the windows,,,longliner

[buckknekkid]

its hard to fish from inside the wheelhouse..even harder to get those pesky brothers into the door too:P :P

[TollyWally]

Form follows function, different strokes for different folks. In the boats I've fished on, the action is all in the ass end. I could only wish that forward leaning windows would cut glare, that would probably mean the sun was shining!

We liked them because it gave more room to cram more electronics above your head and because it shielded your vision from rain without using the usually anemic wipers smearing salt across your window. Keeping the windows well lubed with the magic juice that comes in the yellow squeeze bottle ( the brand name escapes me at the moment) and the effects of gravity is often enough to preclude even dealing with spray and rain.

I think in the old days some boat design details were very local condition specific. Of course most of you guys already know all about that and I realize I'm not really adding anything new here. My point, I suppose, is that practical design features solve different problems in different areas for different reasons.

As for looks, well that's all relative. Those swoopy big tall sportfishing yachts look a might pretentious and sissy looking to me. Handsome in my eye is something a bit more robust. An opinion only, others will differ.

[buckknekkid]

this is a boat!!!I had a woody everytime I drove it

[buckknekkid]

;) I had intended to build this. but;)

[buckknekkid]

another pic

[juiceclark]

I saw this photo in the gallery's new pics today and it reminded me of this ol' string about rounded windows.
http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/11900

If those rounded, instead of back-slanted, windows look so good on a 100' boat (and they really do), why not on a 50'? I think that's called a "Mississippi Bridge." I think I'm going to have that design on my 50 footer after I sell a few traditional designs to pay for it.

It would be a lot easier to mount a 50-caliber on the brow of a rounded bridge like that too...an important consideration down here in FL with tourist season fast approaching!

[buckknekkid]

Ahha, the trusty Blue Hair remover.:P :P

[AuxiliaryComms]

I realise this really doesn't show the tilt of the windows properly but I'm not really a boat designer and I'm at work. You'll have to imagine the section under the curve on the cabin being about 6 inches further in at the bottom and flaring out at the back.

http://jasonwilsondesign.com/rubbish/sportfish.jpg

Sorry for the terrible scan quality.

[Landlubber]

"Portugese wheelhouse" is the term we use in the land downunder....but what would we know, everything is upside down here anyhow.

I hate having to walk on the ceiling all the time......think i had better go have another tablet.......pink, yes pink is nice

[juiceclark]

I've heard that...or a "Portuguese Bridge." I just don't see why it only works on 30m+ vessels or trawlers. This is a nice design with a Port. bridge - check out that great little flybridge helm:

http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/calixas-yachts/6820-review-calixas-105-expedition-yacht.html

When I was in Hong Kong, I did everything I could to get a few Australian women upside down. I cannot share the details except for agreeing that, indeed, "pink is nice."

[eponodyne]

A well-proportioned wheelhouse visor is as important to "the look" as the slant of the windows.