Selecting new windows

My KK Manatee still has the original plastic windows that are so brittle that cracks in the channels have rotted about 6 inches of the inside plywood....no problem to repair, but when considering other windows, I wondered if others here have chosen a different style over the typical horizontal slider type. No matter how good they are, I'm told that after a couple of years, the channels in the horizontal slider type start leaking again.

How about vertical sliders? Flip-out style? You knowledge would be much appreciated.

Got rid of main saloon sliders and put one flip up forward and 2 in the aft part of the saloon. Best thing ever.

psneeld said:

Got rid of main saloon sliders and put one flip up forward and 2 in the aft part of the saloon. Best thing ever.

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What do you mean by 'flip up'?
Are you saying put a flip up one forward in the pilothouse? That would sure move a lot of air through the boat, but are they 'seaworthy'?

One Word

Diamond Sea Glaze, custom made to your existing openings. Sliders with all their faults are still the best option. Depending on your climate go with fixed glass and minimize your opening windows. They usually don't really allow much air flow under way or at anchor.

Before you rule out sliders, take a look at marinelitewindow.com. They are made in Canada mostly for the commercial fishing fleet and charter boats. Frames are of u/v stable pvc with 10 mm safety glass. Have had them on my charter boat for 11 years. Have slider as side windows. They don't leak, period.......not a drop ever. Let me put this another way. I have had green water on the front and side windows, not spray, but a wave slapping the window. They are not as cosmetically pretty as the Diamond Seaglaze in my trawler, but they are water tight, the Diamond Seaglaze aren't. Read through their website and look at the pictures.

Ted

Scary said:

Diamond Sea Glaze, custom made to your existing openings. Sliders with all their faults are still the best option. Depending on your climate go with fixed glass and minimize your opening windows. They usually don't really allow much air flow under way or at anchor.

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True, you can't beat fixed windows for sealing out moisture, but here in FL, you'd have a miserable boat without ventilation. Even with A/C full time, one needs to blow out the thing once in a while. It occurred to me that maybe flip-outs would work as well as sliders, and like jalousie style windows, they would be better in the rain. Also, no gutters.

Another thought might be windows that flip out facing forward and aft (divided in the center) so that air flow could be ducted in, exhausted out, or both at the same time. At anchor, windows bringing in fresh air in the stateroom could exhaust through the boat without having the veranda doors open, as PSneild noted.

AS the Manatee is not an offshore boat the compromise of requiring a set of storm covers is not a big deal.

For most cruising the awning windows that crank and hinge out 2 or 3 panes of glass is probably the best to live with.

Unless the breeze is really blowing most can be opened a reasonable amount in even heavy rain..
Screens are inside to take less abuse.

In FL custom windows can be had in most any size for an extra $20-$40 set up fee.

3/8 auto laminated glass will make it safe for most use.

healhustler said:

True, you can't beat fixed windows for sealing out moisture, but here in FL, you'd have a miserable boat without ventilation. Even with A/C full time, one needs to blow out the thing once in a while. It occurred to me that maybe flip-outs would work as well as sliders, and like jalousie style windows, they would be better in the rain. Also, no gutters.

Another thought might be windows that flip out facing forward and aft (divided in the center) so that air flow could be ducted in, exhausted out, or both at the same time. At anchor, windows bringing in fresh air in the stateroom could exhaust through the boat without having the veranda doors open, as PSneild noted.

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The owner here at waterway systems does amazing custom work and great prices

Waterway Systems Custom Marine Window and Door Fabrication - Home

siestakey said:

The owner here at waterway systems does amazing custom work and great prices

Waterway Systems Custom Marine Window and Door Fabrication - Home

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Yes, I have a quote from Waterway since he's right here in Sarasota, but his sliders are limited to snap-in type screens. He notes that for sliding screens, he would need to order a very high cost extrusion, doubling the price of the window. He also doesn't make radius corners, which my current windows have (He offers to grind the corners off the frame though). I will call him today and inquire about any flip-out or crank-out styles he might be building. He's a one man operation but it would be great to use someone local. and he's such a hard working guy.

I want to stay conscious about how the application of different window styles affect the looks of the boat too. Yeah, I know, the Manatee is already style-challenged, but I've photoshopped some other styles onto the boat, and like Tad Roberts pointed out, the windows really make a difference in any kind of boat. In the photoshop examples, my boat looks better with vertical window divisions vs. horizontal.

bligh said:

What do you mean by 'flip up'?
Are you saying put a flip up one forward in the pilothouse? That would sure move a lot of air through the boat, but are they 'seaworthy'?

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Yes....I just replaced the forward flip up window with one and the 2 fixed windows aft with flip up....I figured side to side ventilation is handled by the doors.

Hardly any window is "seaworthy" and certainly not my Albin 40 after neglect by the previous owner...If I am out where the windows are a problem...the whole cabin may come off....

I second the Marinelite windows. Everybody that has them, loves them.

Our boat was built for the East Coast/FL market. We have Diamond Seaglaze windows with tinted glass (glass is tinted, not a coating), five of which are horizontal sliders with aluminum frames and sliding screens. Boat is a 2002 and, knock on wood, no leaks or other problems. We do clean the tracks a couple times per year and may need to replace the screen in another year or so. The screen frames are fine, so just the screen material.