Catalac New Lateral Windows

[Xmitocu]

Good afternoon,

Just about to head down to my boat for the weekend to continue my repairs...

I would like to know if any Catalac Owner ever changed the original windows/frames (lateral). I am considering changing them all and cut a litle bit the side to make a rectangle (close to the fridge). That way would be easier and cheaper to make a rectangle shaped full frame with windows to open.

Where I have my boat, the guy that runs the boatyard normally orders from a factory in Barcelona.... which adds on to the price... however I am looking for more options to compare prices.

Would like to have your inputs if possible.

Thank you !

Sincerely,

[dmmbruce]

There were several posts about Catalac windows in the last year, but I can't find them at present, maybe someone else can.

There were pictures of the windows and how to hold them shut or open with a piece of wood (I think) and suggestions as to how to repair replace them.

Sorry, that is not much help, but it is here somewhere!

Mike

[yam_fzr]

What's wrong with the current windows?

[Xmitocu]

What's wrong with the current windows?

Hello,

the current windows have no problem in fact. the problem is the frame that is really old and rusty. the part of the window that can be removed one of them is broken. Since I am doing the replacement of the whole ceiling it maybe would be a good oportunity to change the windows.... still waiting for the quote in price....

I will be in the boat next weekend and will send photos.

thanks!

[Gringo]

I'm not familair with 8M windows. Are they customs like on the 12M?

I've considered using permanent fixed plexi to cover the non rectangular portion, and then just putting a square window in between two pieces of fixed plexi. Could be dark smoked stuff. Or mirrored.

[Talbot]

The original 8m and 9m Catalac windows were constructed by a small caravan company in wales. The frames were anodised at double the normal depth for caravan frames - hence more expensive. I contacted the company about 15 years ago (the label was still stuck on some of my frames) but they were totally not interested in doing anything for a Catalac. I had the feeling that they got burnt on one of the occasions when the company went bust.

I have seen the whole of the side windows replaced by a single piece of acrylic. I liked having the opening windows.

Not sure about rust as the frames were all aluminium.

[Gringo]

The problem with them is that the caravan company didn't know quite enough about the marine environment. Stainless blind nuts pressed into the inner aluminum frame, with the screw heads exposed on the outside. They should never have drilled holes in the outside frames. \Water gets around the screws, into the closed end cups of the blind nuts, and causes crevice corrosion around the edge where the threaded barrel of the blind nut contacts the exposed end plate. That's one set of problems. The inside of that blind nut looks fine, but the threaded part no longer attached. It no longer tightens the frames together, and water gets all over the boat behind the vinyl.

Another set of problems is caused by galvanic action between the stainless and the aluminum. This could all have been avoided by simply threading the window hardware from the inside so there are no exposed screw heads outside. It was a mistake to press stainless tightely into aluminum, but they could have gotten away with that if they had just kept them dry.

I'm slowly replacing the fasteners, with longer machine screws, that extend through the inner frames. I use a set of vise grips ( mole grips) as a press and remove the old blind nuts. There is aluminum corrosion in almost every case on this boat. Then I'm replacing the blind nuts with flat washers and lock nuts. But this is a temporary fix. I need to replace the entire windows. every one of them.

[Talbot]

Your windows sound as if they were modified at some time. My windows did not have blind nuts. True there were screws from the outside through the frame, then a layer of mastic before the fibreglass. On the inside was a thin aluminium extrusion which held a piece of formed plastic. The screw tightened on the extrusion and sealed into the plastic.

I re-sealed the windows when I did the headlining when the boat was about 18 years old. some of the anodising was breaking down on corners, but overall was in surprisingly good condition. The only leaks I had were in the front windows, and that was because I tried to cut a few corners rather than re-sealing properly.

[Gringo]

Pretty sure these are the original windows. NObody would have had a set custom made like this. And I am in almost daily communication with another new 12m owner who is extensively updating his "new" 12m, and he has the same windows. His have no problems. I guess the previous owner(s) of his boat kept up with the maintenance.

[Talbot]

Perhaps they made them a bit more secure on the 12m!

Still really done well to last as long as they have - after all the sea is not really a very benign place for aluminium and stainless

[Gringo]

We had 35 kts. of wind and driving heavy rain here yesterday. A real eyeball stinger. We went down to the boat to check, with some trepidation, and finally, we found no new leaks. For the first time. The only rainwater/topside leaks we saw were the already known ones that will go away when I eventually get around to removing and re-habbing those windows. All the ones I have done are water tight now. I found some soft PLA for my 3-D printer and have been printing the big flexible gasket pieces that fit under the part of the window that opens. The origs are brittle and rotten. The printed ones actually fit perfectly, since I drew them on a CAD using actual measurements, but I can' t trust that plastic to survive years of UV and salt. It's another band-aid ( sticky plaster) until I figure out what to replace them all with. But I do need to replace them. But it was nice to be in a "dry" boat during a rainstorm, finally.
christ. I have years of work on this thing at this rate.

[Xmitocu]

Thank you all for your inputs! Still waiting on the prices. This is a Company in Barcelona...

Will keep you posted.

Sincerely,

[Tropic Cat]

Years of work? Yep ... that's a given ...it's a boat.... and would you please send me your castoff flexible gaskets... or..on second thought .. just hold them for me and I'll explain to SWMBO that I have to come and get them.

TY

Rick

[Gringo]

The cast off's aren't flexible. That's the problem. I was just looking at photos of Frank's 12M, and I see that the windows look different. Some of the 12M's seem to have a horizontal bar or fixture of some kind across the middle of the rectangular center panel on the galley and opposite stbd windows. Mine do not have any break or seam in that piece, it's one piece of hardened glass. So there may be other differences, I have not been on board another 12M. I also know I keep bashing my head on the damned triangular aluminum pieces that intrude into a very tight space in the forward cabin.

So I'm very much interested in total replacement options. I have been wondering what would be involved in glassing them in entirely, and then cutting new holes for production windows from somewhere. Rectangular glass opening flanked by two non-opening acrylics that would maintain the present "look" of the windows matching the slope of the cabin, perhaps? Be a good way to modernize the boat with good windows, and they're all going to have to be replaced eventually, anyhow.

[Tropic Cat]

... Be a good way to modernize the boat with good windows, and they're all going to have to be replaced eventually, anyhow.

"Modern windows" don't open. Which doesn't seem like the big step forward the designers thought it was... which brings me to my point.... there aren't any production windows used by boat builders that I'm aware of, which you could buy and put in your 12M.

I've trimmed and machined replacement windows for Richard Woods when he visited me a couple of years ago, but his windows just 'screwed ' into (I should have said "screwed over") a rough opening.

Those Catalac windows sure aren't pretty, but they are probably the best window design I've ever seen in a boat. (...If only they didn't leak .... )

[Tropic Cat]

I should have put this up here earlier. My windows haven't leaked in 6 years (and counting)...

Catalac Window Leak remediation

[Xmitocu]

thanks for sharing this.

I should have put this up here earlier. My windows haven't leaked in 6 years (and counting)...

Catalac Window Leak remediation

[LUCYLOU]

Hello

We've just had some pretty bad weather here in Martinique and one of the front lateral windows (toilets) was shattered ! we're thinking of the best solution and in the meantime have just blocked the gap with plastic!! are there any other catalac 8 owners in our region?

[djeeke]

What solution did you go for?
I need to replace this very same window (and another one in the galley).
The options I'm considering are custom made tempered glass or cast acrylic.

Cast acrylic will probably be cheaper as it easier to work with, I can cut it to size myself out of one big sheet...