I Can See Again

Nautilux Custom Canvas, Red Bank, N.J., United States

This project was a full enclosure for a Main Cat 30, with 14 panels and three screen insert panels. A forward center window encompasses the mast with a formfitting collar for a weathertight seal. An aft center door panel gives access to the cockpit area.

The goal for this project was to create an enclosure that would give the owner a more unobstructed view with better clarity and eliminate the problem of the old enclosure preventing access to two storage lockers on the port and starboard aft corners.

The forward windshield area windows in the old enclosure would sag just before and through the forward corners. Tension was not the problem; placement of the panel breaks was. The deck had a hard transition point that wanted a 3-D shape. By changing the vertical break on the outboard edge of the large forward windshield panels and angling it slightly, the sag was almost eliminated. A 0.5" negative was taken out of each panel for that specific vertical break.

The result was fantastic. The original forward center panel was mostly cloth, and using all windows increased visibility. The collar was patterned separately. A gasket used for garage doors was chosen because it created a thick seal and its lip helped move water away from the mast. With the old enclosure, the storage locker doors would make contact and scratch the glass. A simple railing was installed to force the aft panels outward, then down to a track. This not only saves the panels from wear, but opens up more seating room.

The owner’s first response was “I can see again!” The smooth new windshield didn’t have the distortion of his old one, and the modification to the aft panels saved him from repairing the panels every year.