' isinglass ' material ?

[abl1111]

What a confusing topic this is ! I'm looking to replace the clear glass on my hardtop enclosure ( 23' Tsunami ). I'm not sure what is on there now but it's not clear enough for me.

I'm looking for VERY clear stuff ( I hate enclosures due to visibility issues, but like being out of the weather ) that needs little maintenance I am not planning on rolling it up, although, having it zipper up and out of the way is an option. If I can get 6-8 years out of it - great.

I've read online about the many different materials, the pros and cons - it's dizzying.

Who has something that they really like and it has stood the test of time.

Thx

[Bushwacker]

I went through this a couple years ago when I had my bimini top redone. First shop I contacted (a very high-end expensive outfit) recommended thinner gauge stuff than my original side curtains, since we don't use them much in S. Fla., and said I could easily roll them up for storage. The small shop I ended up using in Hobe Sound recommended reusing my original heavy gauge curtains because they were in great shape, and did the job for only 15% of the original estimate! They said I was better off with the original heavy gauge curtains because visibility was much better with the heavier material than the thinner stuff. As you can see in the pic below, they're still pretty clear although they're about 20 years old! (I really haven't used them much, although they came in real handy during the deluge we had at our Long Point gathering a couple years ago!)

Storage is not a problem; I'm able to lay them against the carpeting on the hull flare in the cabin, cover them with towels and I only have to make a couple folds so they end up taking up very little space and are held in place by mesh hammocks that I have attached to the underside of the gunnels to hold life jackets, etc.

[bigeasy1]

Also have a 23 Tsunami.
All the window material shown in the first picture was 30 gauge polished vinyl.and when the pic was taken it was about 6 years old.

The clear panels above the windshield along with the thread in the soft top started to get ratty.I think I was at fault for the demise of the front panels becausel I used rainx on them and later tried buffing them out with Flitz.They became very cloudy.
So, I had the whole top re-stitched with teflon thread and had the front clear panels replaced this spring with Strataglass. The Strataglass is really as clear as real glass.
The guy that did the work on the top had some extra strataglass kickin around so he gave it to me for the price of regular vinyl.(it still was outrageous).
I wanted the front panels as clear as possible as I always stand up when we are heading out of the harbor. It tends to be crowded in the early morning i need all the visibility I can get.

The side windows you see in the first picture and the rear drop curtain in the second picture are the original 30 gauge plastic that was done six years ago and I'm still using them.
They're not as clear as new,but are still pretty clear and probably good for another couple years.
This top and curtains stay up all year from may until october when I have it shrinked.At that time I roll them all up and lay them inside the cabin.

There is a product that the canvas guy gave me in a spray can called "Klear to sea" and it works very well to keep the plastic in good condition.Amazon has it in stock,I think it's around $15.00.






I think that 30 or even 40 Gauge polished vinyl would fit the bill for you,as good as anything else.It's pliable enough to loosely roll and store in the off season.Of course nothing is as good as real glass,but we don't have that luxury.

[Miles Offshore]

hey Abl, ltns, hope all is well! Just my opinion here and i do have some experiance as i fabricate a few enclosures here and there since i retired. There is a lot of difference in the different plastic available and a wide price range, you get what you pay for. As far as plastics goes, i pretty much only use staratagass in a minimum of .030 ga and i use .040 a lot as well. either one is fine. Another brand name O'sea is also very good. Insist on tenera or solarfix pfte thread, will never rot or degrade, it will add about 10% normally to the cost but its well worth it. It is very hard to sew , tenera, so there are a lot of shops that wont use it, i would move on until i found someone who does. I havnt yet used the solarfix, but hear it is as good as tenera. After your curtains are made and installed , the maintenance and care are where it will be determined how long they last.

I polish mine roughly monthly with a lot of use. I also dont put a brush on them, doing so scratches the protective coating on the polished plastic. Just hit it with a hose and air dry it, is what i prefer. Never leave them rolled up after use and if you take them off the boat all together, hang them up or lay them flat with sheets in between them.hope this helps, craig

[bigeasy1]

Originally Posted by Miles Offshore

hey Abl, ltns, hope all is well! Just my opinion here and i do have some experiance as i fabricate a few enclosures here and there since i retired. There is a lot of difference in the different plastic available and a wide price range, you get what you pay for. As far as plastics goes, i pretty much only use staratagass in a minimum of .030 ga and i use .040 a lot as well. either one is fine. Another brand name O'sea is also very good. Insist on tenera or solarfix pfte thread, will never rot or degrade, it will add about 10% normally to the cost but its well worth it. It is very hard to sew , tenera, so there are a lot of shops that wont use it, i would move on until i found someone who does. I havnt yet used the solarfix, but hear it is as good as tenera. After your curtains are made and installed , the maintenance and care are where it will be determined how long they last.

I polish mine roughly monthly with a lot of use. I also dont put a brush on them, doing so scratches the protective coating on the polished plastic. Just hit it with a hose and air dry it, is what i prefer. Never leave them rolled up after use and if you take them off the boat all together, hang them up or lay them flat with sheets in between them.hope this helps, craig

I had the restitch on my top done with Solarfix thread. The shop gave me a lifetime gaurantee against it rotting.As you mentioned the regular thread doesn't last.
Thanks for the info

[abl1111]

Thx guys. I think .40 is the way to go no matter what as I will not be rolling it up much. Some guys have mentioned polycarbonate too - just to add another dimension of confusion.

[Rufneck]

Great thread and one that I'll return to when I have my enclosure made. I am not there yet on my rebuild project and I've always planned that the enclosure is one of the last projects I'll do. I have a radar arch on my boat and my plan is to secure the aft end of the enclosure to the radar arch or at least have it terminate in the same area as the arch.

Bushwacker, Is the glass in your windshield original? It appears to have a light blue tint to it. I have been looking for something like that but the glass shops I've spoken to don't understand what it is I am describing to them. I'd be very interested in the name of it if you know what it is called. Do you know if it has any polarizing effect and is it supposed to enhance visibility over clear glass? Is it tempered? Thanks! and hope I haven't derailed abl's thread.

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by Rufneck

. . . Bushwacker, Is the glass in your windshield original? It appears to have a light blue tint to it. I have been looking for something like that but the glass shops I've spoken to don't understand what it is I am describing to them. I'd be very interested in the name of it if you know what it is called. Do you know if it has any polarizing effect and is it supposed to enhance visibility over clear glass? Is it tempered? Thanks! and hope I haven't derailed abl's thread.

Yes, my windshield is all original, complete with badly deteriorated gaskets/weatherstripping, although it's still watertight! Although the '72 Seafari brochure claims that it's "tempered tinted safety glass", the '69 Boating Magazine test just said it's safety glass, and it does NOT have any tint in it. What you see in the pictures is probably just reflections from the sky or bimini top. The cabin windows are green tinted plexiglass. I think Potter started using plexiglass in the side windshield panels on the later 20' Seafaris and Sceptre's, maybe starting about 1974-75 when he apparently started trying to take some cost out of the 20' hulls by changing from 4 to 2 stringers, etc.

The '73 Boating Magazine test of the 23 Sceptre said the windshield was "safety glass with hinged plexiglass center panel and side wings" so your windshield may have plexiglass in parts of it if its original. I agree that safety glass is a better choice, as I've seen some windshields with badly faded and crazed plexiglass. The plexiglass doesn't seem to tolerate UV very well, at least in S. Florida!

[bgreene]

From years of having plastic curtains.......a few simple " do's and don'ts "

Don't - roll up a section such as the center front to get fresh air without rinsing off the salt water first. The salt will dry, act as abrasive, and scratch permanently.

Do - wash with simple dish wash detergent and water, then WAX using a simple, cheap wax such as turtle. Result - no streaking and super sharp, clear window..... I've found this works much better than the supposed "special products" for these windows that leave a film.

Do - store either rolled up very gently to avoid any kinks, on boat, or completely flat.

Result - no fading after years and clear as glass !

[abl1111]

Thx all - the big question is -

What material to use ? Which is best for a 'fishing' 23' Tsunami in the Northeast ? Clarity and ease of maintaining are key.