When replacing boat windows you can choose from three glazing materials.
Best material for boat windows.
Crystal clear kal glas have a medium hand and are semi firm.
Regalite has a soft and flexible hand.
Average scratch resistance and little chemical resistance.
Regalite crystal clear kal glas.
What material should you use.
Boat window plastic has to meet the unique needs presented with the conditions faced out on the water.
Clear vinyl for your boat car or patio.
An excellent composite material vinyl and polyester composite fabrics offers the flexibility you need to curve and bend along a boat s contours easily.
Pressed and polished sheets with great optical clarity.
Acrylic or plexiglass is an excellent option for boat windshield plastic as it is a high optical product meaning it is clear for an easy field of vision and also provides exceptional strength and durability.
Press polished clear vinyl with excellent optical clarity and good uv resistance.
Vinyl and polyester composite.
Acrylic and polycarbonate are the plastic materials of choice for ships and boats where keeping the weight down is a major priority.
Polycarbonate lexan acrylic plexiglas and tempered glass.
To minimize the risk for scratches keep your vinyl windows as clean as possible.
The windows on offshore boats vary from between 5 16 inch to 3 8 inch thick.
For longevity the hands down winner is tempered glass the 40 year old opening ports on our boat are as clear as the day they were installed but because glass is brittle it should only be installed in a rigid frame.
As a point of reference the large pilot house windows on a nordhavn 43 are 10mm about 3 8 inch thick.
Clear vinyl is inherently a little prone to scratches.
Clear vinyl window material.
Some window materials however come pre treated with a scratch resistant coating.
That generally rules it out for fixed portlights even those with metal frames because such.
Strataglass plastipane regalite o sea and more sailrite shop clear vinyl window material by the yard.