Strataglass issues

[KevinC]

I had an in-depth discussion with one of my distributors regarding Strata failures and they seemed to feel it was very much related to environment. Similar to @ttmott comment above but also related to fuel burn-off near airports or other types of processing. Another issue commented on was related to chemical usage on the panels - while many restrict all cleaning and polishing to the IMAR chemicals there is potential for contamination from other cleaners used on the boats that may splash or run off onto the panels (especially when contracted boat washers are used).

One other hypothesis that I have is that there is a potential for the panels being affected by out gassing from other cleaners, protectors and materials that are used on the boat. Much like a car's windshield gets a film on it inside from plastics in the dashboards out gassing their chemicals in the heat. My thought is that when these chemicals are pushed out and made airborne they attach to the clear vinyl panels and embed themselves in the surfaces. While it is outside of my realm to test it certain seems to make sense.

Even with regular eisenglass panels you can see the effect of environment. On my 340SDA I replaced my side curtains last season. My starboard side was much more affected than my port side and I even had a light sticky browning on the outside of the starboard panel. From my observation of the environment it was not the panel burning as much as the piling next to my boat gassing out creosote an other oils on hot days and the wind blowing it gently onto my panel. My boat is also side to side against my neighbor on this pole increase the heat from relection from the other vessel. My port side has a finger and the piling is much further away and the spacing to my other neighbor is significantly bigger.

-Kevin

 

[ZZ13]

I’ve poured through as many boating sites as I can and found many experiences the same as mine. With as many follow up posts that say they haven’t had problems. General theories by all is quality control issues from the factory or a clone version. Whatever, I won’t take the risk of using their product again. It’ll be good old basic clear for me from now on. I know it lasts a long long time and stays clear.

 

[Chip S]

I just checked the canvas I had made last year and the Strataglass is clear. So far, so good.

 

[ZZ13]

Well, I finally started to use the Juki 1541 I bought several years ago with the intent on doing my own canvas when it needed it. I'm simply replacing the terribly fogged coated fairy new strataglass on my buddy's two 400DBs with new uncoated Crystal Clear 2020 (same stuff from same company without the coating). Did my first two panels this weekend. Using the simple technique of overstitching new panel onto inside and cutting away old clear after that. First panel I give a C+. Second panel a A-. Not too hard. I have no plans to become Quint version 2.0. Sticking to doing family and friends jobs for free lunches and such.

 

[ZZ13]

Here’s a picture showing the contrast. The two black side panels are 12 year old clear that was on the boat when I bought it. The center u-zip is the panel I just made using CrystalClear 2020. The front panel is the two year old stratglass panel that came from the company that originally manufactured the 400DB. The 12 year old clear is nearly as clear as the new and every bit as flexible. The front panel is hazier than it looks in the picture.

 

[carterchapman]

Here’s a picture showing the contrast. The two black side panels are 12 year old clear that was on the boat when I bought it. The center u-zip is the panel I just made using CrystalClear 2020. The front panel is the two year old stratglass panel that came from the company that originally manufactured the 400DB. The 12 year old clear is nearly as clear as the new and every bit as flexible. The front panel is hazier than it looks in the picture.
View attachment 111421

Nice work Bill. My two side panels are stataglass 40 and are 6 years old and getting "gray" a little. I'm going to drop them at Artful Canvas in St. Pete when we drive down in mid Oct to open the FL house. They estimated $600 to replace the strataglas in both of them. they are about 6.5' by 3.5' with a large U Zip.

 

[swaterhouse]

Nice work Bill. My two side panels are stataglass 40 and are 6 years old and getting "gray" a little. I'm going to drop them at Artful Canvas in St. Pete when we drive down in mid Oct to open the FL house. They estimated $600 to replace the strataglas in both of them. they are about 6.5' by 3.5' with a large U Zip.

I never realized you had u-zips in your side panels. Do you tend to open those more than the front or do you do both?

Were redoing our whole enclosure, trying to figure out the best plans now so they can be made this winter.

 

[ZZ13]

Nice work Bill. My two side panels are stataglass 40 and are 6 years old and getting "gray" a little. I'm going to drop them at Artful Canvas in St. Pete when we drive down in mid Oct to open the FL house. They estimated $600 to replace the strataglas in both of them. they are about 6.5' by 3.5' with a large U Zip.

Thanks. I got a little lucky. My buddy helped me a lot (RayO on this site). He gave me his three year old canvas including Bimini where hurricane Matthew had shredded the clear. I’ve had it in storage for a few years. Fabric part is like new. All the new clear and thread is going to cost me about $1000. So he saved me a good $6000 by gifting me the old Bimini and panels. Of course I do a lot of work on his boat for him. I so love the barter system far better than capitalism. Fosters teamwork and friendships. Capitalism - fosters love for the person in the mirror.

 

[carterchapman]

I never realized you had u-zips in your side panels. Do you tend to open those more than the front or do you do both?

Were redoing our whole enclosure, trying to figure out the best plans now so they can be made this winter.

The side U-Zips are nice in spring and fall at cocktail cruise speed. Not so good at 20+ kts! My fwd and aft EZ2CY panels hinge up, so we can enjoy the nice weather. But in reality, most of the time we are running bridge air where we are (TN summers And SW FL winters).

My canvas guy did a really nice job on the U-Zips - he overlapped the U-Zip zippers with about an inch of strataglass on the outside so no rain comes in the zipper (Artful Canvas St. Pete). Let me know if you want a picture.

 

[Carpediem44DB]

Well, I finally started to use the Juki 1541 I bought several years ago with the intent on doing my own canvas when it needed it. I'm simply replacing the terribly fogged coated fairy new strataglass on my buddy's two 400DBs with new uncoated Crystal Clear 2020 (same stuff from same company without the coating). Did my first two panels this weekend. Using the simple technique of overstitching new panel onto inside and cutting away old clear after that. First panel I give a C+. Second panel a A-. Not too hard. I have no plans to become Quint version 2.0. Sticking to doing family and friends jobs for free lunches and such.

I am doing the same, I bought a brother commercial machine a few years ago to learn a new skill and replace the windows on the 44. After a few panels and a steep learning curve, I am comfortable doing repairs and minor replication projects. I have zero interest in building entire enclosures from scratch or getting into upholstery work. I just do some small jobs for friends that don't want to wait the 3 to 6 months to get into the local pro's shops. I rarely work for free now that I have the OJT out of the way but charge enough to make it worth my effort and pad the boat fund.
Carpe Diem

 

[ZZ13]

Side panels are up. Still gotta put new clear on the port side u-zip. Only original black panels left are the three on the back. Working on those now.

 

[ZZ13]

I have to make a couple adjustments. The lift a dot fasteners on the new panels don’t all line up with the posts on the bottom of the rear canvas. So I am going to move a handful of them. A couple will be moved enough that the existing hole in the canvas will be visible outside the foot print of the new socket location. Looks isn’t an issue but I am wondering about fraying over time. Should I melt/seal up the fabric on the inside of the hole with a soldering iron?

Second adjustment is that I need to move a Bimini pole end down about 1/2” along the pole it intersects with. Right now the collar is riveted to it’s intersecting pole. After I move it should I use a ss rivet like the factory did? Or can I just use a screw instead?

 

[ZZ13]

All done. Got some work to do on the fastening of the bottom of the three rear panels. And gotta replace the cloudy front panels (funny, that’s what started this project but I did all the other panels except those two). But I’m going to wait and do those later in the fall.

 

[ttmott]

That looks great; the compound curves on the rear corners is quite fun right?
I did the same thing but also replaced the zippers. My canvas like yours was in great shape however I didn't use the Sailrite method like you did, leaving the perimeter of the old glass in.
First I traced the inner edge of the canvas on the old glass all around the perimeter using a grease pencil then I put "index" marks every foot on both the canvas and old glass including the locations of the zippers using chalk and grease pencils. That way I know exactly where the glass goes relative to the canvas.
Then I removed the stitching and removed the old glass. The zippers had to come off also as they were sewn through the glass.
I then laid the old glass over the new O'sea 40 gauge vinyl and traced it's outline then cut the new window out exactly the same size of the old.
Next putting the new cut glass over the old I traced using a grease pencil the canvas perimeter and index marks onto the new glass so the canvas can be positioned exactly in the location of the old.
Also I incorporated several improvements like snap extensions and better corner filling.
Using basting tape I reinstalled the canvas onto the new glass aligning to the marks then sewed using the Sailrite PTFE thread.
Like you I have the front and back panels yet to do but they aren't in bad shape like the curved panels were.

 

[carterchapman]

Bill and Tom - all I can say is wow!

 

[ZZ13]

That looks great; the compound curves on the rear corners is quite fun right?
I did the same thing but also replaced the zippers. My canvas like yours was in great shape however I didn't use the Sailrite method like you did, leaving the perimeter of the old glass in.
First I traced the inner edge of the canvas on the old glass all around the perimeter using a grease pencil then I put "index" marks every foot on both the canvas and old glass including the locations of the zippers using chalk and grease pencils. That way I know exactly where the glass goes relative to the canvas.
Then I removed the stitching and removed the old glass. The zippers had to come off also as they were sewn through the glass.
I then laid the old glass over the new O'sea 40 gauge vinyl and traced it's outline then cut the new window out exactly the same size of the old.
Next putting the new cut glass over the old I traced using a grease pencil the canvas perimeter and index marks onto the new glass so the canvas can be positioned exactly in the location of the old.
Also I incorporated several improvements like snap extensions and better corner filling.
Using basting tape I reinstalled the canvas onto the new glass aligning to the marks then sewed using the Sailrite PTFE thread.
Like you I have the front and back panels yet to do but they aren't in bad shape like the curved panels were.

Now you tell me. Ha! Yes I went the quick and easy way. Yours is more professional looking. From the outside they look the same but from the inside I have cut edges everywhere. There are places I would have preferred your method - where the old clear has gotten stiff and brittle even under the stitching. That brittle stuff doesn’t stretch for installation like the new clear does.

 

[ttmott]

Now you tell me. Ha! Yes I went the quick and easy way. Yours is more professional looking. From the outside they look the same but from the inside I have cut edges everywhere. There are places I would have preferred your method - where the old clear has gotten stiff and brittle even under the stitching. That brittle stuff doesn’t stretch for installation like the new clear does.

Yea, I looked at that Sailrite Youtube vid then looked at my panels and that hard curled vinyl just looked like it was going to be difficult to make it work. So, I came up with my method; it worked pretty well albeit probably took a lot longer. I did, however replace the chafe guards with new Sunbrella fabric. No doubt I have confirmed my respect to those that do this stuff day in and day out.. Here you can see the index marks.

 

[ZZ13]

Dilemma. I have to move all the lift a dots on the new rear canvas about 1/2” to port. That’s about 12 of them. I’m worried if I move them on the panel that I’ll now have an exposed hole from the old location. 12 of them. It seems maybe moving the posts would be better. It’s not too hard to fill the old hole with patch paste and sand it and buff it. I’ve done that a bunch. Anyone like one over the other?

 

[bbwhitejr]

Can you move the female part on the canvas and see a full length strip over the holes? Also giving the new install more to grip?

Bennett

 

[ZZ13]

Can you move the female part on the canvas and see a full length strip over the holes? Also giving the new install more to grip?

Bennett

I like that idea. I have a bunch of 1 1/4” bias binding in the right color. I’ll sew over a cosmetic hem with it on both sides to cover the holes. Then punch the new ones. Thanks!