Panorama Windshield

[RicM]

OK, so there's only one thing that really bugs me in the design and execution of the Albin 28 TE, and that's the two mullions in the windshield. Oh yeah, I know that they are probably structural, and make that great hard top strong enough for large men to walk on, but there's more than one way to support a couple hundred pounds. I'm looking to start a discussion about how to minimize or eliminate them altogether. Who's with me here? I think it's great topic for the Rendezvous discussions. We must have some engineers in the group who could calculate the current load on the roof and come up with a plan to transfer that load to the two columns on the corners. Anyone have experience with auto, boat or aircraft windshield materials? How would we go about specing a piece of glass with 2 bends to replace the 3 seperate panels now in place? The loss of air flow from the center opening window could be made up with a sunroof addition, really just a hatch. Speak up, let's put the thinking caps on! (Can you tell it's too crappy out to fish?)

[RicM]

OK, now I can't believe I'm the only one that hates staring around those mullions! This is what it would look like:

[jcollins]

I like it. It would have a european look to it opposed to the down east style. Different.
But, now looking at your dash I know what my winter project is going to be. I have so much stuff on top I have to clean it up. Speaking of cleaning...how do you clean the no mans land area? (bottom of the windshield) Yours is white. Mine is faded black.

[joe.baar]

Brilliant idea. I'm not a marine engineer but you're really only talking about bridge-building here. So, bulk up the corner posts on the inside with some aluminum channel, probably 1"x1"x1/4" thickness is OK as long as it's secured along its whole length to the existing structure, preferably using welds, and has good bearing on both ends. Then the crossmember above the window probably needs to be deepened by about 3 or 4 inches but only across the midships section, it can taper out to about 2" deep at the ends. This structure would use aluminum plate 5/16" to 3/8" thick, also secured along its length to the existing structure using welds, and probably bearing securely on the new corner post material. Basically you'd strike a horizontal line across the top of the window between the corner posts, at a height about 2" below their top ends.

I guess the moon roof would be OK even though I hate to pierce a perfectly watertight overhead. That's probably better than a large forward-facing window weakened by some unreinforced ventilation port. The real expense, aside from taking the whole structure apart to re-fabricate it, is going to be that chunk of glass. Acrylic might be a good solution but the required thickness is still going to make it expensive. I'd think 1/2" acrylic would be a minimum. Oh, I guess the glass could still be 3 pieces 5/16" or 3/8" thick, with silicone caulk as in your aquarium for the joints. Nice project.

As for the 10-year-old moth and bee carcasses in that black no-man's-land, my son used a steel ruler and a damp paper towel one afternoon. Only took him about an hour and if he'd used flypaper or masking tape it probably would have been faster. I think that crevice tool set they make for Shop-Vacs is overpriced and I'm not sure it would really work anyway. Probably a better approach is the OSHA blow gun that comes with every air compressor.

[RicM]

I hadn't thought of trying to join glass like an aquarium. There might be structural problems with that as the boat would flex and torque in a challenging sea. The joints might tend to pop at the worst time. I like the idea of a single, shaped piece. A good friend of mine is a sculptor who works primarily in glass, and on an industrial scale. I bet he would have some ideas about how to build the clear parts as well as the channel to hold it. (see http://www.bentre.com). I'm not so sure that I would even need a roof hatch. We never open the front glass when under way, it blows everything off the dash. Ventilation at anchor is usually adequate with the cabin hatch open here in the north east. I would probably wait to see if it's needed.

As for "No Man's Land" I have not been able to clean it well yet, and there's tacky looking foam insulation slowly baking into brown oblivion in there. Maybe just fill the whole thing in when I do the windshield. Yeah, actually let's widen the metal channel at the bottom so it comes up to the level of the dash, then just fill that void or cover it over, two problems solved!

Ric

[zinbaad]

Damn I like that look.. My eyes are already so crossed and the dividers on the windows just amplify my lazy eye... Sometimes I have to just closed my left eye cause I see double Bayliners all over the place

[joe.baar]

Ric,
I agree with using a deeper channel or plate at the bottom, totally. The two advantages I can see to doing that are, first, if you actually remove the fiberglass panels behind the windows you can incorporate that void space into the head and galley volumes instead of wasting it - I surely never understood why it wasn't designed that way to begin with; and second, you've reduced the window area significantly without any effect on visibility from the helm, and this shorter opening height combined with the new deeper bottom member also increases the structure's overall strength a whole lot, especially when a wave hits from ahead. In addition I believe the boat's general appearance would be improved by this whole process. These boats always reminded me of a five-year-old wearing a baseball cap looking up at his parent for approval and the revised, more horizontal orientation is much more businesslike, I think.

I forgot about the dash being blown clean when that front window's open under way. Such an annoyance.

Yahh, double Bayliners ! ! Harr, narr, narr.

[davidatlantic]

I've seen advertisements for places that fabricate bent and curved glass, as in the old Rybovitches. I was also thinking of cutting interior "ports in the headliner so that the lower portion of the windshields would provide light to the galley area.
As Ric will attest, my Sawzall always has a sharp blade in it.
David Bond

[RobS]

.....make that great hard top strong enough for large men to walk on...

Hmm, You calling me Large? - Since I appear to be the one and only one who as ever cleaned the roof of Time After Time.....

BTW, it raises a question Matt Hanna asked me, which I then asked you when we were running along in your boat last week, "Just how do you get to those lower screws on the inside window frame?"

As Ric will attest, my Sawzall always has a sharp blade in it.
David Bond

Dave, welcome to AOG, thanks for dropping by and a pleasure meeting you last week

[RicM]

Rob,

Watch out, Dave will start cutting up your boat too! He's already salivating about cutting out those mullions.

[RobS]

Better keep him clear of our Rendezvous or we'll end up with "The Essex Chainsaw Massacre"

[Pitou]

BTW, it raises a question Matt Hanna asked me, which I then asked you when we were running along in your boat last week, "Just how do you get to those lower screws on the inside window frame?

I've often wondered the same.

As Ric will attest, my Sawzall always has a sharp blade in it.
David Bond

Better keep him clear of our Rendezvous or we'll end up with "The Essex Chainsaw Massacre"

It just maybe the only way. Ric & Dave, you may have a future in naval architecture.