Window on the water

[Marin]

After completing a fairly major sanitation plumbing project on the boat that took the last two weekends my wife and I were leaving the marina yesterday evening to drive home when I caught a glimpse of this boat in the big Seaview North yard next door. My first thought was that the yard had cut the hull to remove the fuel tanks, a process favored by some. Never having seen this we turned around and went back for a look.

Turned out it wasn't a hull opening to remove tanks, but a window. The same window was on the other side, too. So we drove back into the yard where I took these shots in the rain and failing light. Just the ticket for your Nordic Tug or Krogen or Willard or CHB or ...... It'll give you a whole new perspective on cruising.

 

[CPseudonym]

I have noticed the trend the last several years where larger yacht makers have been installing larger windows in the side hulls. I'm sure they are attractive inside, but outside they look mud fence ugly.

I know, eye of the beholder and all but really?

Rebedding would definitely be moved higher up the priority list.

 

[THD]

I too have noticed that trend. I was looking at a boat in Shilshole that hed a large window that was at about the same level as the floating dock. The two things that would concern me: (1) how strong is the window in rough seas? and (2) what happens when you hit a dock corner or piling? Most I have seen are awfully close to the waterline.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

obviously the "designers" and owners of that floatabago don't believe in murphys' law. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night!

 

[FF]

Some folks have boats to "be on the water" that means actually seeing the water at close to water level.

AS the boats become accommodation beach balls to create max volume , some owners don't like looking down on the water from 30 -40 ft up.

The side windows are the result , structurally not a problem , if well built.

FF

 

[angus99]

I assume it's OK to critique boats none of us own . . .

Wonder what the "portholes" on either side are for--to make it look "shippy"? (a fail IMHO, as they just make it look more bug-like). Or are they magnifiers? Two of these rafted together must make for some awkward moments if the curtains aren't pulled. I'm all for more light below decks, but the designers were outside the box with this solution.

 

[RickB]

I'm sure they are attractive inside, but outside they look mud fence ugly.

Very attractive inside.

 

[twiisted71]

I went on a powercat at the Ft. Lauderdale Trawlerfest a few yrs back that had these albeit on the inner facing hulls. The effect was very nice, plus they'd double as escape hatches if it flipped! (or so said the salesman)

 

[rwidman]

To me, that looks unattractive and unsafe. Damage to the window could sink the boat in rough seas.

I'll stick with a more traditional design where the windows are much higher and better protected.

 

[psneeld]

They have windows in submersibles...pretty arrogant to think the designer didn't make the window just as or stronger than the hull.

Don't like the looks? Well neither do I but that doesn't make the boat unsafe.

Plus...do you ever see boats like this out in rough seas? Remember most boaters aren't cruisers.

 

[ben2go]

Have life jackets-check.
Have dinghy ready to go in an instant-check.
Have EPIRB-check.
Have full charged floating water proof handheld VHF radio ready to go in the dinghy-check.

Anyone wanna add to the oh $h!T list?

Not me.Thanks, but no thanks.

 

[skipperdude]

obviously the "designers" and owners of that floatabago don't believe in murphys' law. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night!

Floatabago.
Now that is funny.

Did you coin that and may I use it?


Sd

 

[Marin]

I assume it's OK to critique boats none of us own . . .

Wonder what the "portholes" on either side are for--to make it look "shippy"?

I dunno--- I don't see anything wrong with critiquing boat that we do own....

Perhaps the portholes open to let fresh air into the compartment behind the windows? Don't care for the design with the portholes--- it's what led me to initially believe they'd cut the hull---- but it may be functional in some way.

 

[sbu22]

Guess it's cause I spent my formative years on submarines, but I abhor any thru-hull, bolt hole or port hole; above or below the boot stripe; that is not absolutely necessary. I watched in amazement as the bulk of the sportfishers in my marina (a few years back) rushed to cut series of coffee can size holes to accommodate underwater lights. 'Course, I don't know anyone who has lost a boat that way. But, I don't think I'd sleep well with that picture window.

 

[Rambler]

These seem to be the new trend on european sports yachts, Ferretti and such. Probably not designed for serious offshsore boating, but to look pretty while dockside.

For me, why would I want to sit IN the boat looking out when I have the fly bridge, boat deck, forward deck, aft deck, etc to be able to sit OUT and see, at times 365 degrees of my surroundings.

 

[RickB]

Guess it's cause I spent my formative years on submarines, but I abhor any thru-hull, bolt hole or port hole ,,,

I did the same, diesel boats to deep diving manned submersibles and have absolutely no problem with through hulls, ports, or any other hull penetration. Maintaining what you have is the key. A poorly maintained bicycle is more likely to kill you than a hull fitting.

Many of our large yachts have clear plastic covers on the sea chests ... you can look at fish from the engine room.

Here are some of the deep diving subs: The one with the big viewport is good to 1200 feet, I have been over a mile down in the one with the 3 ports.

 

[RickB]

Probably not designed for serious offshsore boating, but to look pretty while dockside.

A lot of boats that routinely do Atlantic crossings have windows large than those.

... why would I want to sit IN the boat looking out when I have the fly bridge, boat deck, forward deck, aft deck, etc to be able to sit OUT and see, at times 365 degrees of my surroundings.

To get away from the heat and humidity, the wind and noise, to lie in bed and watch the world go by early in the morning at anchorage, to watch the sun come up before you do, the list goes on ...

 

[rwidman]

A lot of boats that routinely do Atlantic crossings have windows large than those.

To get away from the heat and humidity, the wind and noise, to lie in bed and watch the world go by early in the morning at anchorage, to watch the sun come up before you do, the list goes on ...

Then why not take this to its logical conclusion and make the entire hull out of glass?

 

[swampu]

It would have been nice to incorporate some style with the window. Long and wavy or something. Cool concept, illbiet and old concept but cool nun the less. I would imagine with more composites and technologie on the horizon Ron might get his wish.

 

[Moonstruck]

The windows can be engineered to be strong enough. So can walk out doors to the transom area. The real problem comes when they are left open. It has happened.

 

[Rambler]

Then why not take this to its logical conclusion and make the entire hull out of glass?

Even the head?

 

[RickB]

Even the head?

It's been done already:

 

[dwhatty]

It's been done already:

As well as a house and an airplane.

 

[KJ]

[QUOTE Wonder what the "portholes" on either side are for--to make it look "shippy"? .[/QUOTE]

"SHIPPY" A highly subjective term.
Case in point:

 

[markpierce]

Fashion seems to be more important than seaworthiness for some.

 

[rwidman]

Fashion seems to be more important than seaworthiness for some.

Probably for most.

The popular "sport cruiser" style (think Sea Ray, Bayliner, Maxim, Four Winns, etc.) is a good example. They are fashionable and stylish and look fast even at the dock, but they are not the best design for rough water operation.

But, you pay your money and you take your choice. I happen to prefer the trawler style.

 

[RickB]

Fashion seems to be more important than seaworthiness for some.

First you need to define seaworthiness.

I suspect that 99.7 percent of the boats here (including your own) don't operate anyplace or in conditions that "seaworthiness" in the traditional sense is a factor.

If fashion is so evil, what was the reason you chose your boat other than appearance or some other Walter Mitty fantasy? It certainly doesn't need angled windshields, a steel hull, a mast and sails, or anything else besides a galley table and an icebox to cruise around the inland waters of Suisun Bay or Carquinez.

A RIB or a small center console is quite capable of handling the conditions experienced by nearly all of us on our boats that seldom if ever go beyond shouting distance of land.

 

[rwidman]

I believe boats made and sold in Europe have different certifications of "seaworthiness",so in theory, one wouldn't take a boat certified for inland lakes out to the North Sea.

Not so in the USA. It's up to the judgement of the operator to decide if it's safe to take an 18' bow rider into the open ocean. And we know how that "judgement" thing is working out.

As for how boats are usually operated, it's better to think more of how they might possibly be operated. For the boat in question, while it might be expected to operate in protected waters, the fact is, that someone might put it in a situation where the design presents a safety issue.

 

[psneeld]

Who here actually knows the design specs of that window or the stability curves of that boat?

If you do ...feel free to talk seaworthy...if not it's just an opinion and based on what I guess most of you have been out in a pretty limited one at that.

I'll be the first to say most of my boating has been in pretty mild conditions...I bought the sucker...why beat it up. Now on the pro side...been in a lot and studied a lot. And I still wouldn't comment on the seaworthyness of that boat because I don't need someone writing a post like this calling ME sounding stupid for doing so.

For all anyone knows...that window could be the strongest or most seaworthy part of the boat....looks good? Different story but don't call seaworthyness into it unless you have more info than a quick glance at some picture....

 

[Great Laker]

Living on the Great Lakes puts me in the 0.3% where seaworthyness is a factor, and there are many others in my situation on the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines. Michigan has more registered boats than any other state and there are 4 other states and Canada encompassing these waters. Lots of boaters!

Here you can have dead calm for days interspersed with days of 15-20 mph winds, 5-7 ft waves, thunderstorms and associated gusts to 30 mph.

Everyone here has a healthy respect for these waters as they have claimed almost 300 large commercial freighters, transport, cruise ships, fishers and large sailing vessels over the last couple of hundred years. When the weather is bad, people scurry for the nearest port of refuge (which are about every 20 mi along the shore and where you can't be refused safe harbor).

Still, people tend to own "go fast" boats in order to get to a destination and back in their vacation windows. Sea Rays, Carvers, and Tiaras are very popular and until recently trawlers were quite rare.

My conclusion is that people here do like the fashion boats, understand that they are not particularly seaworthy, and thus have learned to be cautious and weather sensitive. Even with a coastal cruiser, on our last two week trip up to the North Channel, we had 3 weather days out of 14 cruising days.