Below deck windows

[Mike Ebert]

On the used 31 TE that I just bought, all of the rectangular windows seem to be etched. I would assume it is from salt or sun. I tried some Pledge on them to try to smooth out the surface, didn't work.

Ideas?

Mike Ebert
Catchall
Sausalito, CA

[tomcat rio]

i'm not sure you can do too much about it. i don't think i would give the windows (portholes) too much priority yet. if you just got the boat and its used, you might consider just recording all the discrepencies you discover during the first season.
then assign priority. you may find that you come across other items that you would rather spend money on first.

[Tuxedo]

A couple years ago, the boat yard used ON / OFF to clean my boat, and the ports got all clouded up. I used Starbrite Plastic Polish and it cleaned them up pretty good. Last year, I took them off and used 3M Finesse-it II with a buffer, and that definitely cleaned them up.

I just used those products because I had them. There are any number of plastic scratch removal products at West Marine, etc. that would work.

[Russell]

One of the things I learned at work is that alcohol will etch plexiglass. It makes it look like it is cracked into a thousand pieces but it stays together. The cracks go deep and no surface polishing can remove it. I do not know if the ports are made from the same type of plastic but I keep Windex, which I think contains alcohol, away from them just to be safe.

[Mike Ebert]

Thanks for the suggestions. Actually, I have fixed just about everything that needs fixin' that I have been able to find and am now down to the little, bothersome crap.

Mike Ebert

[Mariner]

Any alcohol based cleaner or hard bristled brush will damage the lexan used in yacht hatches. If the damage is already done, there's not much you can do. A very high speed and soft polisher might do the trick, that's how they get the smooth surface in the factory, but I doubt any such thing is readily available at a reasonable price in the consumer market.

When washing lexan windows and hatches, you should only use water and a soft cloth. I use microfiber rags.