Strataglass issues

[ZZ13]

Several of my buddies have gotten full new bridge canvas packages in strataglass, from the original provider of the factory install. After just a few years here in southeast salt their panels are so cloudy you can’t see through them well enough to keep them down when cruising. Also I was gifted two brand new front strataglass panels about a year ago. They are rapidly getting cloudy. The rest of my panels are ten year old regular clear and they still clean up to brand new clarity. However they are shrinking so much over the years so that zippers and stitching are failing. But I definitely won’t get strataglass when I replace them this spring.

Has anyone else run into this?

 

[Nater Potater]

@ZZ13, thanks for the heads-up, as I'm probably going to get a full set of canvas and windows sometime next year.

 

[my3sons]

Bill, As you know the hail storm gave me new canvas this past year. Here's what I've been told about Strataglass problems. I don't know, just what I've been told.
When I needed to replace the bridge glass a few years ago, Gioia Sails, the original canvas supplier for my boat, said that they stopped using Strataglass because there were problems with it not holding up. I think it was something to do with the coating process. They recommended O Sea so that's what I went with. I replaced the glass only, the original canvas was like new. No problems with the O Sea, but it was only on the boat 3 years.
When the hail storm hit, every boat on our dock that had Strataglass or O Sea or any other scratch resistant vinyl was damaged. The regular "Isenglass" boats were fine. The scratch resistant coatings make the material more brittle in the cold and the rough jagged edges of the hail crack and shatter the glass. The regular stuff absorbs the hit better. It's spongy. But obviously it's not for bridge boats because we want the clarity.
I now have Strataglass in the new bridge enclosure, so I hope there is no problems like you mention with it.
The contractor I hired said the problems were behind Strataglass, he cautioned not to use tinted glass though, clear only. The tinted doesn't hold up as well. Just what he said. He was many years at Gulfwinds pre Marine Max. His son now runs a canvas shop down there near Sarasota, he goes down there in the winter and helps out while he is escaping the snow up here.
He claims that strataglass is still one of the best bangs for the buck in salt water environments, just flush them well after use. Heat is an enemy, he feels that maybe all or part of the tinted problem is that it's darker and absorbs more heat than the clear. There are boats on our dock that had old Strataglass before the hail storm with no problems, but obviously no salt use.
He has been doing canvas work for 50 years and had some good ideas to "personallize" the fab and install to our 400 DB's. If you are going with new canvas as well as glass, I can share what we did. Nothing earth shattering or anything that changes the look, just a few little tweaks that help out a little.
There are a few canvas guys here at CSR, I'm sure we will hear from them shortly.

 

[ZZ13]

Thanks Mark. I think all my friend installs are tinted. They have like a light pink or purple hue to them. They are all 400 DBs (three of them). Our local canvas guy really likes a brand called Crystal Clear.

 

[HardHead]

Several of my buddies have gotten full new bridge canvas packages in strataglass, from the original provider of the factory install. After just a few years here in southeast salt their panels are so cloudy you can’t see through them well enough to keep them down when cruising. Also I was gifted two brand new front strataglass panels about a year ago. They are rapidly getting cloudy. The rest of my panels are ten year old regular clear and they still clean up to brand new clarity. However they are shrinking so much over the years so that zippers and stitching are failing. But I definitely won’t get strataglass when I replace them this spring.

Has anyone else run into this?

As long as you use Strataglass cleaner as sold by Sailrite, you shouldn't have any problems. I have 7 year old Strataglass and have installed Strataglass on customers boats 10 years ago and they have all held up great.

 

[ZZ13]

As long as you use Strataglass cleaner as sold by Sailrite, you shouldn't have any problems. I have 7 year old Strataglass and have installed Strataglass on customers boats 10 years ago and they have all held up great.

They did all that. Used the Imar only to clean. Maybe they were supposed to apply it every week or something like that.

 

[Quint4]

If you buy "factory direct" ...like Greatlakesboattops....I'm not sure that is Strataglass?
Strataglass and O'Sea are direct competitors and are very similar (pressed and polished, specially coated isinglass for scratch resistance). These are made by heat pressing 2 sheets together. They come in 110"X54" sheets.

As stated, use only Imar products to clean and coat Stratglass.

Cheaper alternatives are extruded isinglass .......(sold to canvas fabricators on a roll).

The uncoated version of Strataglass is "Crystal Clear 20/20"

The uncoated version of O'Sea is "Regalite".

Surprised to hear the early failures. Strataglass has a 2 year warranty.

 

[ttmott]

If you buy "factory direct" ...like Greatlakesboattops....I'm not sure that is Strataglass?
Strataglass and O'Sea are direct competitors and are very similar (pressed and polished, specially coated isinglass for scratch resistance). These are made by heat pressing 2 sheets together. They come in 110"X54" sheets.

As stated, use only Imar products to clean and coat Stratglass.

Cheaper alternatives are extruded isinglass .......(sold to canvas fabricators on a roll).

The uncoated version of Strataglass is "Crystal Clear 20/20"

The uncoated version of O'Sea is "Regalite".

Surprised to hear the early failures. Strataglass has a 2 year warranty.

Do you know if there is anything to the tinted comments previously posted? I had planned tinted on the sides and back.

 

[Quint4]

I have not heard of issues with tinted.....perhaps Kevin C will weigh in.

 

[ZZ13]

I have not heard of issues with tinted.....perhaps Kevin C will weigh in.

Well, I know of four issues....

I will be at one of the boats tomorrow. I’ll snap a picture or two and post it. This boat has the newest install. Two years ago.

 

[mquiet]

Do you know if there is anything to the tinted comments previously posted? I had planned tinted on the sides and back.

TT, I have installed O'sea light smoke tint on all the sides and back of my flybridge and it is holding up great. It is the 40mil which flexes enough for me while still giving a solid look without the visibility issue of the thinker garages. My have been up for 4 years without issue.

 

[ttmott]

View attachment 96925 View attachment 96924
TT, I have installed O'sea light smoke tint on all the sides and back of my flybridge and it is holding up great. It is the 40mil which flexes enough for me while still giving a solid look without the visibility issue of the thinker garages. My have been up for 4 years without issue.

Thanks; that looks great! I'd like to understand the root cause of what @ZZ13 is talking about. I'm looking at the 40mil also but trading between Strataglass and O-Sea. However, I was unaware that O-Sea has a tinted product. I'll probably source from Sailrite depending zz13's response. Seems there are similar issues on multiple boats at his location.... Are all of the boats enclosures done by the same vendor or was the glass provided by the same source? Too many unknowns....

 

[ZZ13]

Thanks; that looks great! I'd like to understand the root cause of what @ZZ13 is talking about. I'm looking at the 40mil also but trading between Strataglass and O-Sea. However, I was unaware that O-Sea has a tinted product. I'll probably source from Sailrite depending zz13's response. Seems there are similar issues on multiple boats at his location.... Are all of the boats enclosures done by the same vendor or was the glass provided by the same source? Too many unknowns....

Two of the boats are product from Boatswains Locker in Jacksonville. One was purchased four years ago, the other two years ago. Both the quotes and the invoices say Strataglass 40 gauge. The third install was done by a local installer in Virginia Beach about 5 years ago. He did a stitch over install on existing canvas then cut out the old stuff.

 

[endless seas]

Always used Imar products and seemed to work pretty good.

 

[M Prod]

I’ve had strataglass all around for two seasons and no issues yet. Still as clear as the day installed. I never roll it though and keep it polished with the Imar polish and cleaners. When I bought the boat I had polycarbonate windows across the front of the cockpit and it looked great for a season but got very scratched and eventually yellowed and clouded. I’m not sure what the broker installed there but I’m sure it was cheap stuff. I don’t like the way the 40ml strataglas warps and distorts what I see to a degree. I’ll likely go back to polycarbonate (a more high quality version) eventually. But the strataglas is fine and seems to be holding up well for me. Granted the sun is not nearly as strong here as in Florida.

 

[mquiet]

Something I heard a while back was never to clean the windows in the heat of the day with water as it will over time cause a crazing on the isinglass. I would guess it is due to the change in temp being absorbed on the surface. Do them either in the morning or the evening when temps cool.

 

[ZZ13]

Here you go. Just snapped all three of these. The clearest one is through my 10 year old regular clear plastic.

 

[Frtbroker]

I have strataglas installed on my boat for 5 years and clear as the day it was installed

 

[ttmott]

@ZZ13 - Is your marina near / down wind any coal or oil power plants or other heavy industry that may have "fallout"?

 

[ZZ13]

@ZZ13 - Is your marina near / down wind any coal or oil power plants or other heavy industry that may have "fallout"?

Two of the boats are slipped in Charleston, SC. The other in Hilton Head, SC. I’m in Beaufort, SC. Whatever it is it’s leaving my clear alone but likes the strataglass boats.