Association Forum - Lexan windows for Dodgers

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Lexan windows for Dodgers - are they crap?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

USA
1771 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/04/2010 : 06:31:17

When we had a new dodger and bimini made for our C&C 39 two years ago, we wanted the best. All new stainless with extra handholds, Sunbrella with the inner coating, and Lexan windows - very thick 30 mil? Lexan windows are a cruisers dream as they are crystal clear - even now. We used Plexus to clean them and babied them while cruising. They sat under a tarp for 6 months of the 24 months that we have had them. Now they are cracking and I am afraid to go out in bad weather for fear that a decent wave will just flatten them.

Looks like after a lot of $ we have to go back in and have the dodger repaired with new windows. Anyone else have issues with Lexan windows? Any advice for replacement? The vinyl stuff is hard to see thru, but seemed to last a whole lot longer.

sten

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/04/2010 : 08:50:42

Not many dodgers here--mostly biminis, with a couple of dodger conversions to the bimini, which I was thinking about doing, but I probably would have used eisenglass (vinyl) for storage flexibility, as with my current side and back-curtains that stay rolled up most of the time.

I'd ask that question someplace like CW. But I'll ask several friends when I get home tomorrow.

BTW, I found [url="http://www.ez2cy.com/other_enclosures/m_printable.html"]this article[/url]...

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 04/04/2010 08:51:31

JimB517
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 04/04/2010 : 10:04:56

I had eisenglass on my big power boat in the 40 mil size. At that size, it is clear and you can see through. It lasted for years.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5904 Posts

Response Posted - 04/04/2010 : 10:45:34

The window on my dodger is vinyl, and has lasted well, but I'm careful not to scratch it. It distorts the view, but has a zipper around it, and I unzip it and lower it when I don't need it to divert spray.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 04/04/2010 : 14:24:57

Eisenglass is the premium product for this application.

Edited by - on

glen
Captain

Members Avatar

359 Posts

Response Posted - 04/05/2010 : 10:17:27

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 When we had a new dodger and bimini made for our C&C 39 two years ago, we wanted the best. All new stainless with extra handholds, Sunbrella with the inner coating, and Lexan windows - very thick 30 mil? Lexan windows are a cruisers dream as they are crystal clear - even now. We used Plexus to clean them and babied them while cruising. They sat under a tarp for 6 months of the 24 months that we have had them. Now they are cracking and I am afraid to go out in bad weather for fear that a decent wave will just flatten them.

Looks like after a lot of $ we have to go back in and have the dodger repaired with new windows. Anyone else have issues with Lexan windows? Any advice for replacement? The vinyl stuff is hard to see thru, but seemed to last a whole lot longer.

sten
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Sorry to hear about your Lexan. Our shop uses mostly Pressed Polished .040, but we did a job on a 42 footer with Lexan (I think it was.030). The curtains are about 8 years old and are now turning yellow, but still look structural, and have held up quit a number of storms. Remember this is Michigan, not really known as the sun shine state of anything.
We have used Strataglass, but will never recommend it. On one occasion we had an issue with the coating flaking off. They honored the warranty and sent new product, but. I also feel there product, as well as all vinyl products age about the same. When designing any type of an enclosure, we try to keep the clear panels as vertical as possible. Your optics degrades as the angle of the panel increases. The design is always the customer’s decision, but we want them to know all there options. PTFE thread (Teflon) is a very good choice, as opposed to the standard Dacron.
BTW Sten have you contacted the canvas shop. Even in the tropics I would have thought you would get a better performance from Lexan. Most reputable shops will offer something to keep there clientele satisfied. One final note, if you have to foot the bill your self for new vinyl. A good canvas shop will be able to install new vinyl in your existing curtains. The way we do this is to sew the new material over the existing damaged vinyl (to the inside of the curtain). Then we carefully cut out the old. This will leave the edge of the original vinyl, and it will be slightly visible, but this way we know the curtain will still fit. If you try to replace the old vinyl with new vinyl, after removing the old, the Sunbrella will most likely loose its shape. Good luck

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 04/05/2010 : 11:54:56

Glen makes good sense; I just want to add that a horizontal lexan hatch on my previous boat completely hazed in 3 years.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 04/06/2010 : 06:12:22

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by glen
Sorry to hear about your Lexan. Our shop uses mostly Pressed Polished .040, but we did a job on a 42 footer with Lexan (I think it was.030). The curtains are about 8 years old and are now turning yellow, but still look structural, and have held up quit a number of storms. Remember this is Michigan, not really known as the sun shine state of anything.
We have used Strataglass, but will never recommend it. On one occasion we had an issue with the coating flaking off. They honored the warranty and sent new product, but. I also feel there product, as well as all vinyl products age about the same. When designing any type of an enclosure, we try to keep the clear panels as vertical as possible. Your optics degrades as the angle of the panel increases. The design is always the customer’s decision, but we want them to know all there options. PTFE thread (Teflon) is a very good choice, as opposed to the standard Dacron.
BTW Sten have you contacted the canvas shop. Even in the tropics I would have thought you would get a better performance from Lexan. Most reputable shops will offer something to keep there clientele satisfied. One final note, if you have to foot the bill your self for new vinyl. A good canvas shop will be able to install new vinyl in your existing curtains. The way we do this is to sew the new material over the existing damaged vinyl (to the inside of the curtain). Then we carefully cut out the old. This will leave the edge of the original vinyl, and it will be slightly visible, but this way we know the curtain will still fit. If you try to replace the old vinyl with new vinyl, after removing the old, the Sunbrella will most likely loose its shape. Good luck

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thanks Glen,

Yeah - I personally sewed in the windows for our C25 dodger. (Dodgers are IMHO a safety item - not an option). However I think I will leave replacing the Lexan to the pro's. My real issue is that you can only replace the windows maybe once or twice before it gets too thick to sew thru.

I did contact the canvas shop and of course no response. Also, the canvas was done in St. Augustine and we are currently in Fort Myers Beach heading for Tampa, so it will just be one of those things. We love the Lexan for its visibility, and two years does seem too short, but whatcha gonna do.

Thanks for the advice.

sten

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.