Best modification?????

[xl883lo]

The other day someone made a post about adding a 110v recepticles to their engine room; I though this was a really great idea and it got me thinking.......of all the things you have done to your boat,what if your favorite modification(s) and why?

[Laukia]

favorite modification..........

Seems like my favorite is always the one I have done most recently. I always consider any boat I own a work in progress. The CC is certainly a great start. My latest upgrade/modification was to the vinyl panels of the helm enclosure and the windshield. After 2 1/2 years the windshield panel and the 2 side panels had gotten so cloudy and obscure I figured it was time to replace them. This was after I tried every product on the market for both maintenance and restoration and nothing really seemed to slow the deterioration. There is a detailing guy at my marina and he pretty much confirmed my suspicion that when they start to go south.......it's a losing battle. Sadly I think the canvas folks in NC use enclosures made of very low quality clear vinyl.

So........I replaced the sides with strataglass. The port side with 2 panels and no zippers. The starboard side with the original design so I can still unzip a panel and reach in or out at the helm. The windshield panel I replaced with semi-rigid poly carbonate from Ranier Windows in Washington. It's 250 times stronger than vinyl and is pretty much bulletproof. It is also absolutely clear like looking through air. I finished the project off with black sunbrella covers so I don't figure on having to deal with this again. Really nice looking through clean windows/panels.

[Armageddon]

The black cover looks nice, but do you have any photos of the polycarbonate windshield and the strataglass on the boat itself? Also, how much did it cost you to do all this, estimate ......

[Laukia]

favorite modification.........

I don't have any photos looking through the new panels. I'll have to take some.

Part of the price factor was that I could still use the original black stamoid vinyl that the strataglass was sewn into. Also I kept the original 3 back panels. Had to be new stamoid for the windshield because the polycarbonate cannot be sewn. There is a special bonding method. Total cost including covers for the back panels (not shown in the photo) was $2600. Pricy......but years down the road I hope it still looks good.

[backman]

Stamoid is pricey

My curtain replacement for front and 2 sides w/ new stamoid and new Strataglass was >6K which included new tracking for the 3 pieces.

Not cheap but visibility cannot be overrated. I went w/ one large smile/1 piece for each side and a single piece across the entire front. Amussingly after it was all done; the front still leaked in seas. A good hard look at the situation showed visible gaps between the hardtop and the aluminum support on which it rested. One good bead of silicon down that stretch and no more leaks!