glass bottom catamran

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by RAHULRAMANMV, Dec 3, 2012.

  1. RAHULRAMANMV
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    RAHULRAMANMV Junior Member

    hi, am designing a glass bottom catamaran for coral site seeing.design includes ,installing glass over mid length on both hulls of catamaran at bottom v shaped.please suggest type of glass to be used on the bottom panels or any design suggestion. i am intending to carry over 30 passengers and as both as snack bars and sundecks .please suggest suitable material too
     
  2. messabout
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    messabout Senior Member

    Lexan will have better impact resistance than an equivalent thickness of glass. It can also be drilled and cut to shape without much difficulty.

    This must be a very large boat if it is to accomodate 30 passengers. Describe the boat in more detail.
     
  3. CDK
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    CDK retired engineer

    I concur with messabout. There was a glass bottomed boat moored here at the jetty. The locals of course take the best places, so for this guy there was only a very shallow berth left.
    The boat touched a rock at low tide and sank immediately.
     
  4. RAHULRAMANMV
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    RAHULRAMANMV Junior Member


    this boat is similar to what operates in key west florida. its a twin deck with a upper sundeck ..but with reduced passenger capacity. my main concern is with how to make the wate tight at the bottom where hull is been fitted with glass panel...i wouyld like u to just see over fury catamaran glass boat
     
  5. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Before you do anything you must check with your local authority.

    Ive sailed two , non commercial, boats with glass bottom windows. Its not the windows that are important its the detailing and design of the water proof box that the window fit into. Both boats used double skins. If the outside window broke only the box would flood not the boat. These were glass windows. I dont know the glass specification.
     
  6. RAHULRAMANMV
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    RAHULRAMANMV Junior Member

    its not a glass window a going to place...more over the lower part of both hull ,for a few meters am making it glass bottom over middlepart ,,so as passenger could stand on both sides and see the corals below the sea water.
    pls check this link
    http://www.furycat.com/key-west/glass-bottom-boats.htm
     
  7. RAHULRAMANMV
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    RAHULRAMANMV Junior Member

    pls see over my reply
     
  8. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Difficult to see the detailing. It looks to me like the entire glass bottom viewing area is enclosed behind a waterproof bulkhead in the middle of the ship. If the windows blew out only the area inside this waterproof bulkhead would flood and not affect the stabilty of the ship. .

    Again, since you are considering commercial operation you must speak with a naval architect and the local authorities.

    My feeling is that authorites will assume that the windows will fail and that the design should accomadate this flooding
     
  9. RAHULRAMANMV
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    RAHULRAMANMV Junior Member

    oke dats great...how about type of glass...anybody..plexiglas or lexan...now a days plexiglas used for windows in ship..hw good is it undrwater...wat about clarity of lexan
     
  10. RAHULRAMANMV
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    RAHULRAMANMV Junior Member

    how about clarity of lexan glass under water. do u have any boat in your knowledge using lexan for coral siting
     
  11. RAHULRAMANMV
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    RAHULRAMANMV Junior Member

  12. TANSL
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    TANSL Senior Member

    I have designed several boats for passage with glass bottom areas, monohulls and catamarans (Spanish Administration). No need at all to put a double skin. All you have to do, in addition to correctly calculate the thickness of the crystals and suitably strengthen the area of the openings, is that the boat resists crystal compartments flooding. That is, to study the stability of the ship after damage.
    According to Michael Pierzga, you should consult with an expert in these calculations and, above all, with local maritime Administration.
    An examples of material used : 8 +8 +8 STADIP glass of the following characteristics:
    Compressive strength: 1000 N/mm2
    Flexural strength σT = 40 N/mm2, flat glass annealing
    Flexural strength σT = 120/200 N/mm2, tempered glass
    Young's Modulus: 70000 N/mm2
    Hardness: 6.5 Mohs
     
  13. RAHULRAMANMV
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    RAHULRAMANMV Junior Member

    ya...can you tell about the water tightness technique implemented..like glass is fixed over the panels on hull bottom, how to make joint water tight?
    basically i designing for student project..can u give me some catamaran design images of glass bottomed boat.
     
  14. TANSL
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    TANSL Senior Member

    I hope the attached plan helps, but are in spanish. It is a catamaran, GRP, with the crystals, not in the flat bottom, but in the inclined portion thereof. Each hull has two rows of windows, ie a total of 4 rows.
     

    Attached Files:


  15. RAHULRAMANMV
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    RAHULRAMANMV Junior Member

    this was very useful..but how was passenger viewing the water ..is it from top or through siting and watching aside..can u suggest some thing for this kind of glass window http://www.furycat.com/key-west/glass-bottom-boats.htm
     
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