Help with selecting windows

Hi everyone.

I’m currently rebuilding. Wilson Flyer 24 fibreglass fishing boat. I need to replace the windows however I’m unsure what direction to go.

Option 1
Bolted in acrylic. If so on butyl tape, on neoprene tape, on adhesive?

Option 2
Acrylic on window rubbers

Option 3
Toughened glass in window rubbers

Option 4
Toughened glass bolted in

Option 5
Toughened glass on adhesive only

I did explore glass in aluminium frames but that’s a no-go as the openings are already cut radii are too small.

this will be a sea boat and capable of 30+ kts, so will get slamming off waves but that said, there are many using window rubbers. Now when speaking with Cauldwell windows here in the Uk it was them suggested 4mm toughened bonded and bolted but they perhaps didn’t know the style of boat it was going on.

I’m just not making progress on this decision and really do need to as I want to get it water tight again. Ive been back & forth on these options so much as each has pros & cons. Obviously I want what’s best for this particular situation and that would probably be bolted in acrylic which was my preference for some time but it wouldn’t be the most aesthetically pleasing. I’m now swaying towards glass and to be honest, there’s many, many boats (and vehicles) with glass in with window rubbers so it may well be the way to go although the glass bolted in would obviously be stronger but i am fearful of it shattering with any flexing of the wheelhouse.

Can anyone advise?

 

How were the windows done in the original build?

When you say toughened glass, do you mean tempered?

I used 1/4 inch, tempered glass with a bronze tint in my 25' houseboat.

EDIT: Where is Ballymoney?

 

Hi hardguy007, have you considered polycarbonate windows instead of acrylic, eg. Macrolon or Lexan, or several other brands. It's about 30 times the strength of acrylic, and can be as clear as glass. 4 - 5 mm thick would be very tough, 6mm or thicker will be almost unbreakable with a serious hammer blow. On a destructive impact it cracks but doesn't disintegrate or shatter. Can be coated with tinting film for extra UV protection. Less prone to crack when drilling fixing holes than acrylic; if you try to break it, it will bend, and crease, but not snap.
Sorry to give you another thing to consider, but I'd recommend it over tempered glass just on safety grounds; it's not sharp unless you make it sharp. It's been around for decades, I used it in the late 1970's and 1980's, it's probably even better now. Used on plane windows, and jet fighters etc.

 

I've used a similar boat as a committee boat for running a regatta and on a breezy day,with a lumpy sea,a wave pushed the starboard window free of the slightly tired window rubbers and a couple of bucketfuls of water came through the aperture.Which put me off the idea of window rubbers.Toughened glass is good,but heavy.Polycarbonate is tough but scratches quite easily.Acrylic can be drilled cleanly if you modify the cutting edge of the drill bit by making it a bit more vertical,this makes the bit a little less like a coarse thread and reduces the tendency for the aggressively angled flute to snatch and punch a hole with the remainder of the drill body.A few rubs on a medium oilstone will be enough and I hope the attached file illustrates the principle.The alternative is to clamp the sheet tightly to a backing board.

Sealant is your choice but I have found Arboseal tape to be effective,if you use a sharpened piece of small tube to cut a clearance hole for the bolts.

 

Original windows were glass in rubbers.

Wither I go glass or acrylic I’m getting them cnc cut hence why I need to decide what route to go. Ive looked at the pros & cons of both acrylic and polycarb and have swayed to acrylic.

I’m not terribly concerned about the weight of glass as I’ve almost weight to spare as it was by removing a big inboard but just not certain how best to fit them.

 

If you are getting the acrylic CNC cut, making frames would not be much of an extra cost or effort.

 

frames? Made out of what?

 

They can be aluminum or stainless.

 

I can’t do frames as the radii are too tight and there’s not enough structure left in places to re-cut openings

 

I'm not sure you have the same type or frame in mind than gonzo have.

What is the main gain?

 

The frames lay flat on top of the acrylic. You can also have one on each side for a better finish. As far as small radius, I don't understand the issue. Maybe you could post some photos.

 

What was wrong with the original design?

If nothing, then simply redo what was there, with the material of your choice...no?

What part of USA is Ballymore in?

What's toughened glass?

 

I read "Ballymoney" and it (or one of the places with this name) seems to be in Ireland.

 

Toughened glass is the same as tempered.