Need assistance with reflecting a window

[srbaum]

I need to replace the forward port side fixed window "glass" in by boat. The windows are Diamond Seaglaze, and there is only a minor amount of detail on this subject in the C-Brat archives. I was hopeful to find some direction on the manufacturers site, or on YouTube, but no luck there either.
Looking forward to hearing from someone that has successfully done this job.

[journey on]

I assume that the windows in Journey On are the same type as in a Venture 26. They're both made by Diamond Seaglaze.

I broke a side sliding window. It broke into a zillion pieces, so I knew it was tempered glass. I removed the end pieces and went to a glass shop to replace it. I was told to give them a pattern and for a large sum of money they would send away and have a piece of glass cut and tempered. It would match the template, but they would not guarantee the fit. After I paid for it, the glass man told me what he did for his boat, cheaper and better.

He used the template and cut a piece of safety glass, which is a sandwich of glass around a plastic sheet. They use it for automobile windshields. He was able to cut it in his shop and it was a lot cheaper. If you screwed up the end pieces, you can order them from Diamond Sea Glaze (I hope).

Never broke another window.

Here the link to Diamond Sea Glaze:
https://www.advantecglobal.com/marine/diamond-sea-glaze
Got it off Google. They're Canadian and pricey.

Boris

[srbaum]

Boris,
Thank you for taking the time to reply. First off, I note that auto-correct, changed the word, replace, with reflect…
The glass that needs attention, is the forward fixed window, port side. The 25 and 26 windows are the same make and style. They are just shaped slightly different.

[Hunkydory]

Steve, in 2016, while traveling the Alaska Highway in the Yukon, we were hit by very strong winds & debris that shatter cracked our front port side window. Upon reaching Skagway, Alaska I found getting & installing a Diamond Sea Glaze exact replacement was going to not only be very expensive, but also very difficult. Another C-Brat Doc Steve, who lives very near the Auke Bay Marina close to Juneau, who had provided much appreciated assistance on our past Alaska cruises, suggested the name of a compamp there who would measure & replace the window right at the Marina with auto safety glass. After launching at Skagway, the next morning we cruised the 85 miles to to the Auke Bay Marina where they finished the replacement that day leaving us free to continue on our summer cruise with virtually no wait. The following day, we hit some very rough water with green water over all the front windows. The window held. A good glass company especially one use to dealing with boat windows like the one who did ours is a good option for you too.

Jay

[Hunkydory]

Also, at least in SE Alaska among many in the fishing fleet & other boats, this is the most common window replacement method used with from what I have heard talking to others there, good results, like mine

Jay

[journey on]

OK, I thought that you were trying to replace a side window; apparently it's a front window.

Those windows are still tempered glass and my suggestion is still to have saftey glass.installed. Now as to removing that window, my only suggestion is to take it to a marine glass shop and have them remove the glass. I've never done it myself and I understand it can be a bear.

Feel free to remove/install the frame and glass yourself, but check with a glass place first. They may have some suggestions.

Boris

[srbaum]

Jay,
Thank you for the lead, but I live on the east coast, so I need to find help out here, or advice on how to remove and install the glass alone. DSG's site, provides no guidance...

[thataway]

Steve, Bay Area Glass in Norfolk advertises that they do "Marine Glass". Most good sized towns on the coasts have glass shops which can do boat glass. Where you have boats, you are going to have broken windows!

[srbaum]

Thanks for everyone’s feedback. After sleeping on this issue, I decided to take the boat to my local glass shop in Portsmouth. These are the same folks that replaced my Suburban windshield several years ago and pointed out the SafeLite had previously cut the wires to my rear view mirror and had also damaged the metal, allowing it to rust in the perimeter of the windshield that SafeLite had installed.
Anyway, they measured and said they would have the new glass in a few days and it was not a big deal, as they are familiar with these windows.

[srbaum]

Well, I got new forward windows and picked the boat up today from the local mom & pop window shop.
I had posted a request for help on this issue, as the forward window on the passenger side had a very deep smiley face groove, because the wiper switch was activated during the night by a falling sun visor and the wiper blade had fallen off, because it had run for so long.
Anyway, I though that I would replace the window on my own, but like many others, found that some expertise would prove valuable, as failure and cost of the glass is expensive.
So...the local glass shop proved to be valuable. The glass is safety glass (two pieces of glass with plastic in the middle), so it had to be ordered in clear or green, I went with green to reduce glare. The glass shop said that the labor was extensive, from start to finish. as they had one person work on it for 7 hours and a helper for 3 hours. They said that it was a difficult job, because of the inability to stand in front of the work area for the day and there was many trips up and down on the ladder, as all three windows were different sizes.
So, cost was reflective of materials and labor... cost of materials was about 40% of overall cost. The job for 3 forward windows cost $795 and the quality of the work was excellent.