hi all,
maybe this should be an article but since i purchased my boat a little over three years ago I have had an ongoing issue with the aluminum frame windows leaking. the windows were in pretty bad shape when i purchased the boat. the POV had kindly used larger non stainless steel screws in some places so that the corrosion that normally occurs between steel and aluminum was sped up. I read article suggesting getting the replacement kit from catalina direct which i used. And i have to say that it did prevent some leaks but there were still alot of places that the water got into. i also thought about replacing the windows with the design that cruising concepts came up with but decided that i simply did not like the styling. then i starting thinking about all sorts of other things i could do like replacing all the fixed ports with ports from new found metal, building my own, then the ideas really starting taking on a slightly manic tint. it was at that point i contacted catalina directly to see if they happened to have some old frames or any suggestions, and they did. they put me in touch with Mark Plastics and for about the price that cruising concepts charges they were able to make me some vinyl framed windows, you could choose between treated acrylic frames and glass, i choice the plastic. the main reason was that the acrylic was cemented to the acrylic. the frames come as a one piece frame that is custom fit for each window. believe me on a boat that is 26 years old the hull and liner thickness varies from window to window and can vary from 3/8" to 3/4" on the same window. they were able to build a frame that fit the dimensions exactly. i've attached a couple photos(i hope) of the windows after install.
regards,
Mike Hogan
s/v Ciscocat #226
Mark I XP25, std rig
Mike,
You MUST write this up for an article in JibSheet! What a great idea.
Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT
Mike- glad to have read your post here about your windows. My 84 Cat has a couple windows that are leakers and need either rebedding or replacement. Never having done any boat window work I'm looking for options. I agree with you on the Cruising Concepts design. I will be calling Mark Plastics, hope they are still in business, and see what they can do for me. How are your windows now after 7 years?
Jeff
Jeff D
Island Time
'84 MK-I SR/FK #273
Kemah, TX
Jeff -
I installed the Cruising Concepts replacement windows on my '85 at the beginning of the 2016 season, and I'm VERY pleased with their look and function. Here's a link to the post I put up on this, with photos:
www.catalina36.org/comment/58853#comment-58853
The inside look is very clean, the leaks were eliminated, and it resulted in actually enlarging the visible openings and thus bringing in more light because there are no internal frames and only a thin trim ring (the last photo in the above link shows the replacement trim ring laid over one of the old windows for size comparison).
I also replaced the opaque front hatch with Cruising Concept's hatch back in 2010, and it was a great improvement over the dark cave that was our forepeak.
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
Matthew- thanks for the info. After 2 full cruising seasons, any signs of wear & tear or changes in the seals (caulk)? It's a little uncomfortable to think that all that holds them in place is the caulk. The install process certainly is attractive - easy. Is there any need for caulk at the inner trim ring to window joint? Or does the trim ring come with some sort of gasket?
Jeff D
Island Time
'84 MK-I SR/FK #273
Kemah, TX
To answer your questions
1) No wear and tear or changes in the caulk sealing. Cruising Concepts supplies Dow Corning 795 sealant, which is, apparently, the stuff used to affix glass windows to skyscrapers. I had my doubts about this method, since there are no frames or screws, but the replacement windows seem quite secure (and no leaks!). An article in Practical Sailor (Dec '16) that I just I ran into, coincidentally, while cleaning my study this weekend, compared marine sealant adhesive strengths gave 795 its "best choice" recommendation for plastic lens replacement and stated that it "has a proven record for sealing hatch glazing and that "its UV resistance is at least as good as plastic glazing".
2) The inner trim rings can be secured with small screws (which CC supplied), or with silicone. There is no gasket (the trim ring has no function in terms of sealing anything, so none is needed). I used almond-toned silicone, just because I thought it looked cosmetically better as a means of filling any gaps (again, not for any sealing purposes; indeed, I generally abstain from using silicon as a sealant anywhere on the boat), with maybe 1 or 2 screws in the middle, as you can see in the pictures I linked to in my prior post.
One think I've learned (in the usual manner ---- the hard way!) is that acrylic will scratch more easily than the old glass, so you do need to be more mindful of that. They clean very nicely with alcohol (we keep a can aboard for this purpose, along with the other stuff for consumption purposes). But overall, we're quite pleased with the it.
Since you have an '84 (with presumably the fiberglass front hatch), you might want to look into getting CC's front hatch replacement as well, while you're at it. There's a thread on this: cruising-concepts-replacement-front-hatch
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
Just an FYI Jeff here is a link http://www.markplastics.com/ looks like they are still around. Let us know what you find out.
Gary Bain
S/V "Gone With The Wind"
Catalina 36', Hull #: 1056, Year: 1990, Engine: M-35
Standard Rig
Moored: Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Home: Auburn, Maine
Thanks Gary, I did contact Mark Plastics a while ago, or at least I tried - called and left vm. no response. Working with a guy locally who specializes in windows and hatches and he finally got a hold of them. About 2 grand for the full set of 8 windows, plus shipping. I also got a quote for identical aluminum frame/tempered glass windows for just over 2 grand. Now I'm looking at the Cruising Concepts acrylic windows for ~1500. Lots of choices! Trying to weigh benefits/cost of install/cost of windows/durability/etc... Any thoughts?
Jeff D
Island Time
'84 MK-I SR/FK #273
Kemah, TX