Thread: Powerboat cabin design and windows

I'd use perspex. Won't shatter so easily if hit with the anchor or a big wave and shower the cabin with broken glass. Dangerous. Also it may be possible to bend it to suit the shape of the cabin. It is also possible to drill it easily and bolt it to the frame work.

Whitewood

Acrylic glazing is nice, but costly. I prefer laminated safety glass for windscreens. Most 'glass cutting shops will have some on hand and it comes in clear or very slightly tinted green or blue. It's easy to clean, quite strong, heavier then acrylics, but doesn't scratch nearly as easily and adheasives stick to it better than the plastics. If cost was an issue, I'd step down to tempered glass, which isn't legal to use in windscreens in this country, but yours may be different. It's 2 times weaker than the laminated stuff, but 4 times stronger than regular glass and available in many colors too.

Yes I was thinking of going with laminated safety glass too Par, but what techniques are used to house a glass panel in a cabin? I've seen recesses by router, sikaflex and double sided tape to hold in place etc, what would you recommend for a secure and watertight way of mounting the glass?

Chris

There's a number of way to secure or capture the glass. I'm not fond of adhesive/sealants on the plastic options, but polyurethanes on real glass has worked for decades in both automotive and marine applications. If using a plastic windscreen, I'd opt for a loose edge, capture style (loose U shaped channel) and a fitted rubber gasket, to make the seal and interface between the two. If working with glass, I'd glue it in with adhesive/sealant on the inside, just like a car's windscreen, maybe a trim piece to cover the glass edge on the exterior.