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C-250 Replacment Windows

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superbob
Navigator

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USA
200 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/03/2012 : 16:21:27

There's need to replace each of the windows in my boat. A gouge here, a bunch of scatches there (thanks to previous owners) and crazing in the front windows have made this necessary in maintaining the boat in the condition that suits me.

I have a replacment set of windows in hand and a glass professional to do the install who now balks because he's not sure how to take each window out without causing damage to the surfaces around them.

I'm thinking putty knife and patience. Has anyone tackled this job and if you did, what approach worked for you in removing each window?

Bob Watson
Sparkle Plenty
'99 Catalina 250/WK #421
Oak Bottom Marina
Whiskeytown Lake CA

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Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2012 : 08:46:14

While not specific to a C250 here is a link to my window replacement:
http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23031& SearchTerms=windows

Three of the windows popped off easily, the last one however was a bear. Putty knife, razor blades, a lot of swearing and the window breaking into a hundred little pieces. I did not worry to much about the surface under the windows because the sealant will cover it all up.

Edited by - on

Johnnybob
1st Mate

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32 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2012 : 08:49:33

I'm sorry I don't have a answer for your question. But recently I was going to replace the main sliding plexiglass hatch at the companionway of my 250. When I bought the boat the hinged fiberglass hatch above the plexiglass had cracked and sagged and every time the plexiglass was pushed back to open the hatch is was deeply scratched across a fairly wide area and looked really bad. After fixing the top hatch I ordered a piece of plexiglass to make a new sliding panel. After getting the price for a darkly tinted 1/2" piece of plexiglass I decided to try and revive the existing hatch. I went to an auto supply store and purchased a small amount of plexiglass polish. I was very pleasantly surprised with the results. I spent less than two hours polishing by hand and even though the deepest gouges were still present they had become transparent and are now hard to see unless you are looking for them and the hatch in general looks 200% better than it did. My other windows are like yours scratched and generally milky and unattractive. Somewhere near the middle my of my to due list I intend to polish them as well. After my experience with the main hatch I believe this will be a relatively easy project. If I did not have any problems with leaking around the windows I would be hesitant to remove them. Sometime a small leak can be a big inconvenience and difficult to fix. Did you order the replacement windows from Catalina Direct or did you have them cut locally?

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2012 : 09:44:15

I just had the portlights on my boat replaced professionally, and the installer removed the old ones by getting behind the old ones with a hammer and strong putty knife. The hardest part of the job, however, was removing the old caulking. If you don’t get it thoroughly cleaned out, before installing and caulking the new portlights, you can’t get a good, long-lasting seal. He started by trying to scrape and gouge it out with the putty knife, but his progress was unacceptably slow, so he finally resorted to using a 4½“ grinder. He had to be very careful in doing so, because it is very easy to slip with the grinder and damage the gelcoat somewhere noticeable.

Davy's link is a good one.

The photo is my boat sporting her new portlights.

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Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2012 : 11:00:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">The hardest part of the job, however, was removing the old caulking.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Removing the old caulking was very difficult. The fastest way I found was to put a wire wheel on a drill. The wire wheel turned the old sealant into dust.

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TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2012 : 16:07:05

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Johnnybob
 ...I decided to try and revive the existing hatch. I went to an auto supply store and purchased a small amount of plexiglass polish. I was very pleasantly surprised with the results. I spent less than two hours polishing by hand and even though the deepest gouges were still present they had become transparent and are now hard to see unless you are looking for them and the hatch in general looks 200% better than it did...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I did the exact same thing with my plexiglass hatch last season (using the Novus 3-part polish kit), and it looks significantly better. The scratching of the plexiglass did not happen from a damaged pop-top - all it takes is someone opening it while someone else is standing on the pop top. This all happened with a prior owner, and won't happen again (unless someone wants to get thrown overboard

).

My only concern is that the hatch may now be very slippery when wet, but I try not to step on it anyway. I also plan to polish my other windows, but that's well down the list. The slipperiness issue may cause me to never polish the windows on the foredeck.

FYI, the newer C250s no longer have a plexiglass hatch. IIRC, they have non-skid fiberglass, with a small square of plexiglass in the middle. I'm not sure why Catalina made this change - maybe due to slip hazard. Despite that, I like the full plexiglass better.

I agree with prior posters that removing/replacing the windows is major surgery with a lot of downside risk. My windows would have to be in pretty bad shape to risk it.

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 03/04/2012 : 16:27:41

I polished mine with my 10" buffer and a little boat polish. I figured that I had little to lose since they were so badly scratched. Cleaned up the fine scratches nicely and made the big ones far less noticeable. It even worked well on the plexi sliding hatch. I'd certainly give it a try before I attempted to remove the windows.

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superbob
Navigator

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USA
200 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2012 : 05:29:31

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by John Russell
 I polished mine with my 10" buffer and a little boat polish. I figured that I had little to lose since they were so badly scratched. Cleaned up the fine scratches nicely and made the big ones far less noticeable. It even worked well on the plexi sliding hatch. I'd certainly give it a try before I attempted to remove the windows.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Were it not for the crazed windows and the huge gouge on the forward port window (each of which cannot be buffed out to any degree of satisfaction .. .been there, tried that), I'd not be complicating my life any more than it already is. Wish I would have had your good fortune, John.

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superbob
Navigator

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USA
200 Posts

Response Posted - 03/05/2012 : 05:30:41

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Davy J
 While not specific to a C250 here is a link to my window replacement:
http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23031& SearchTerms=windows

Three of the windows popped off easily, the last one however was a bear. Putty knife, razor blades, a lot of swearing and the window breaking into a hundred little pieces. I did not worry to much about the surface under the windows because the sealant will cover it all up.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thanks! I'll try this (especially the cussing up a storm part!)

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