Interesting video, thanks. I just want to add that I owned a Jeanneau 54DS for 5 years and sailed her around the World. I never had any problem with any leaky windows and there is an enormous window area on that model. I put this down to always fitting the external window covers when the sun was at its fiercest, even when sailing unless it was particularly stormy. It was a reliable and sturdy boat and looked after me on many occasions.
I've had a replacement window made, it was curved in two directions. They made it no problem at all, using the old one as a template, and heated the replacement, and used the old window to match the curve.
Dow 795 building sealant for rebedding sailboat port lights.......did it myself, works great. The stuff is specifically made for sealing and adhering windows on high-rise office buildings and is good with plastics.
I redid the port lights on my Sun Odyssey 32. They’re acrylic, not lexan or plexiglas. Local plastics shop cut new, tinted pieces from the ones I broke while removing. New pieces were flat, with rounded edges. Acrylic comes with protection on both sides. I trimmed the edge of the inside and primed it with Sika primer. Then I ground the old bedding compound off the cabin top with a fibrox wheel. Primed that. Masking was key. Then I bedded the new acrylic, taped it in place and weighted it with a bag of pennies hung from the boom. It helped the tape hold the curve until the sika bedding compound set up. I haven’t had a leak in 5 years. The replacement looks great. Please don’t try to make it scary.
I replaced one port light on my Ravage 36 -copy. The old one was 8 mm plexiglass and the new one is 6 mm polycarbonate... The shop where I ordered it did not have 8 mm PC in lengths over 2 m. The shop did a bit of a mess while gluing it so I did a smaller sky light myself and it is much nicer. Masking, thorough cleaning and primer required but possible for a diy person.
Gone With The Wynns spent several episodes detailing their travails in replacing their curved windows on their Leopard catamaran. No fun at all. It's a valid concern.
When I bought my SO50DS over 10 years ago, the French Jeanneau dealer told me there's a company in Hyeres (South of France) that's been making plexiglass curved windows for years. I'm not sure that replacing curved Jeanneau windows is really an issue at all. Also, I've never had any leaks.
My suggestion for curved windows - use masking and mold release to coat the old window while it's in place, then coat in fiberglass/resin to make a full scale 3D mold of the window. Send the mold to a specialist who can shape the plexi window to match the mold that was made.
I was thinking along these lines, too. You’d need to add a support structure to the fiberglass to keep it from flexing and twisting. Shouldn’t be too hard to do.
@@gmoose777 One would think Jeanneau, as OEM, would have a CNC template file for all their windows. I presume asking them to release the file is a whole other fight.
I love that he uses "decorated by a 10 year old" as a compliment. If you ask a room full of kids to raise their hand if they think of themselves as an artist, most of them will. If you repeat the same with a room full of adults you'll almost see the inverse. Something about growing up tamps down our creative spirit. Remember to dream and create like you did when you were a little kid.
And remember not to buy products designed solely by artist types intended for transportation and life support. Unless you have deep pockets and ready access to rescue services.
Curved plexiglass, especially mild compound curves, is a common airplane fabrication, and a good number of curved windows are of home origin. If your plane is rare, you have to get a window made backyard. LP Plastics in Pa makes windows. Maybe they could add boat windows to their list.
My Jeanneau So342 doesn't have curved windows. They also don't leak on a 23 year old boat. I made and fitted new windows to my previous S&S Defiance 30 using scotch VHB tape. Sikaflex is the sealant, it doesn't stick windows on. I looked at a few Hunters before I bought a Jeanneau. I'm very glad I passed on them.
Sikaflex makes sealants, adhesive sealants (used for portlights) and adhesives. Try telling someone trying to remove something bonded with Sikaflex 5200 that it doesn't stick things on. But make sure you can duck and or run fast!
I've got a Beeny oceanis 400 1994, it was Marie Finot designing one of his last vessels, and it is stunning visually and practically. I sail the Pacific and the subframe does creak while the hull flex, its actually a nice way to loose force on the yacht. Anyway see you all out there sometime.
Looking forward retiring on the J53 , Had Benes , J35 all much the same but that aft cabin & walk around bunk & the electric sheet winches on the 53 wow Comfort & speed with good looks hard to beat
A good business opportunity for a marine glazing company. It would be relatively easy to take a casting of a complex curved window, while it is still on the boat, and then use that casting in a large oven to heat form new polycarbonate or acrylic to match. Polycarbonates like Lexan can be over 10x stronger than acrylics like Plexiglass, but plexi tens to hold up to UV and scratches better. Both materials come in dozens of different types, from many different sources. For Jeanneau to orphan old customers when it would cost relatively little to stockpile ports, or just sell the tooling, is most inhospitable.
@@texarama I guess there are no CAD files for a 40 year old boat. Someone made a hull design on paper. Then it was likely build with wood on plywood. Then a negative was made in fibreglass. Some of those shapes were used to model the tool. It was not a big deal.
I watched a video on "Bryan Sailing" Episode 23 where he fixed a curved window on an Antares Catamaran. He made a template from the window hole, cut out a flat piece of plexiglass/acrylic and used heat guns to form the plexiglass into the hole. The process really starts about 15 mins into the video. It seamed to work.
Thank you for mentioning one of the best lake and coastal boats - the Cherubini Hunter's. They are pretty good in light air. But when the air fills in, the skipper of a Cherubini gets to wave goodbye to all of the other monohulls that are even close to their length. I sail the Cherubini everytime it's available in our club.
Interesting video not only about Jeanneau windows, but about the history of Jeanneau. I had leaky windows on a 1974 Dehler Varianta 65, and because of that and other problems, I sold her and bought a 2005 Jeanneau Sun 2500. Interestingly, the Sun 2500 does not have any of those fancy windows--only small ones that are probably easily replaced. There are no problems with leaks, but I actually wish that the windows were a bit larger, because I find it a bit dark in the cabin. These are the pluses and minuses...
There is a pretty easy solution. Heat plexiglas to over 400 F. Place it on lambs fur. Wearing lambs fur mittens, shape the window. Bends and compound curves aren't much different. Cut and polish and drill your windows then paint the edges after it fits. People build plexiglas windows for planes at home or in small batches. That's where you look it up. Full fledged compound windows for boats wasn't a great idea. Jeanneau probably used the same compound curve over and over again.
Tim, a 3D scanner, and automated 3D router to duplicate the curve, to make a male mold. This is not cheap, but once the mold is made, reproduction of the ports is cheaper, by far. Something for the owners' association to think over.
Just chartered a 41 jeanneau this Friday. As long as Tampa Bay isn't destroyed tomorrow. I hate the ikea interior. But happy to sail ⛵️ her to get my captains license.
A “modern” Jeanneau 41 is very pretty and a competent sailing vessel. But it doesn’t sail like an older Jeanneau (I have sailed a 369, a 389, a 469, a 45 DS at now a 50 DS and by far the latter two, which are older Philip Briand designs are the best sailing of all of those). Thankfully (and I’m in Fort Lauderdale so I don’t like the damn hurricanes either) it looks like you’re going to escape the worst in Tampa. It looks like the hurricane is headed straight for Saint Marks (population less than 300) Florida not even Apalachicola. I’m truly sorry for all 300 people in Saint Marks, but compared to dead hitting Tampa Bay, which is shallow as all get out up near the city and the storm surge that would result, and the fact we can already almost not get insurance in Florida on anything not even an automobile (not because of climate change, but because we are surrounded by water, and the insurance companies are screwing us along with the trial lawyers and I’m a lawyer, so I can say that). In God’s universe it’s as about as good as we could hope for. Good luck with your certifications! I’m sure you’ll get them.
@haroldfletcher5493 hey there. Thank you so much for taking the time to write. We a flying out 5am Friday to Tampa. I sure hope St Pete an the people there are ok. An be selfish I hope our flight ✈️ isn't delayed. My dream boat. ( but I am having a hard time finding) is the Hunter 50cc. Looks like I'll have to settle for the 45cc. Wife and i want to spend a couple years in the Caribbean. N Bahamas.
Very good video. I have a 28’ yacht with 6 basic rectangular “windows” got quoted 2.4 k NZ$ to do the job. I balked at the price, did it myself and decided after the job that 2.4K was a bargain. A Jeanneau I love the look of and was thinking about buying was the Jeanneau espace 1100. The windows were completely buggered, crazed, you could barely see through. Have a look at the shape profile of that one. This vid is a great reminder to keep this in mind when buying one of these. They’re definitely the Citroen DS of the boat world.
Everyone can find something wrong with anything if they want. Any production boat is a compromise and repairing items going wrong with a boat is something you deal with on almost a daily basis if you want to keep her pristine. My own 16 year old Sun Odyssey 42DS in in wonderful condition and always being admired because I look after her. Windows as you will note from other comments are repaired simply and the modern fixing methods are used throughout the industry. So stop making silly rubbishing comments about one of the manufacturers just to make money.
My Sunrise 1985 has glassed tabbing on all bulkheads and furniture. Very solid compared to newer pan type models. Does not creak in a seaway like à Beneteau
I have a 2010 Jeanneau SO 44i, no DS fisheye windows, no leaks no worries, but I will be making 3D templates with tyvek and spray foam and maybe look to get replacements made.
Topic for another video..im prepping my oceanis 46 for an offshore cruise next year. In new zealand we have probably the worlds strictest requirements for resident boatsto be allowed to leave nz waters. All about safety and reducing rescues so good idea. One of the regulations is to have solid storm covers for any windows port lights cabin or deck Plexi hatches. What kind of arrangements have people come up with to fit these temporary covers without making a god awful mess of your deck and cabon top. Cheers tim
As always great content and love learning more about boats with every video. Would it be possible to consider a video on how to get more experience. I have an idea what boat I'd like but no clue how to improve experience (without costly courses and exams)
hi Tim, awesome work with your vids they are very informative. what can you tell us about the HANSE line of boats? they seem reasonably priced second hand, does that speak to quality? i would love to see you do a review on them please.
Aftermarket windows sounds like a market opportunity... The black surrounding on windows is called a Frit and protects the sealant as well as diffuses the heat.
My sailboat a Swedish built in Orust, Malö 116/40 ft, 1985. The boat will last for 500 year. I sinngelhanded outsailed Jeanneau and the sister Beneteau sister when they have 10 hands on deck in storm. They gave up and fleed to safe. My sailboat are old style but I will never sail the world without ther. Top speed are 14,2 knots. Downhill and a beer inside.
They can be hand blown just like aircraft windshields are. Basically build a mold, an old set of lenses would be best to get the correct shape and lay a flat sheet over the mold and use a torch to melt the plexiglass and let it say into the mold. Then cool. You will need a mold releasing agent that withstands the heat. Very common with experimental aircraft construction.
I was given a tour of the South Carolina factory before they closed in late 2019. That plant made both Beneteau and Jeanneau. Right on the same production line. Same workers. Same materials. I passed on a Jeanneau 53. Regret it often. My Hunter 41DS had a nicer interior.
I redid the portholes on my Jeanneau Sunrise using 3/8 inch tinted plexiglass. Cut them using a skill saw with a metal blade, sanded edges and rounded the edges with a 3/8 bit on my router. Sanded them to glass smooth and glued them with 3m Vhb tape and Dow Corning 895. Painted the plexiglass black where it meets the deackhouse. Looks like a new boat, does not leak. We’ll see how long it last. Most difficult like mentioned was removing the old caulking.
Hi all, Australian product FIXTECH FS200 is the answer to your acrylic window / portlight problem. Other products use isocyanate primers that eat the acrylic. Fixtech have the right amount of bonding allowing elasticity required for expansion and contraction. Acrylic swimming pool manufactures use this product!!
Another problem with those big windows is that it turns the inside of the boat into a very hot greenhouse when the sun comes up and when you are inside, you can't see out of them anyway.
I have an 09 42DS and got a leak on the port side above my switch panel adjacent to the nav table. As such it was raining inside my breaker panel. Long story short, I went to seal it up and the window broke. I managed to get it back in and no leaks so far, but the window has got to be replaced soon. I called Jeanneau and they told me I was out of luck. There aren't words for the way I feel about this. Anyway, after a ton of research I am sure that I can make new windows, but it will take creating a mold out of the existing window and using heavily tinted plexiglass to protect the SikaFlex. I am planning the work for next spring, so stay tuned. As a side note, I also plan on removing the windows on the deck near the mast and replacing them with fiberglass panels as the windows are useless anyway. Anyway, if you talk to Jeanneau please relay my extreme displeasure with their customer service.
My 1996 Sun Odyssey has ports with the gasket on the edge of the window, in a small rabbett routed into the clear plastic. They are starting to leak now
So remove the old window as complete as you can, make and test fit a template and have the new cut from it. Now you can either use Sitka or that DOW 795 stuff that bonds windows into skyscrapers. You might want to put more work into that then I just did. but now make a frame out of either ply, bent wood, or composite, routed to take the edge of the window, and bond it onto the edge of the glass With 100% coverage of the edges this will do a better job of making a seal and protecting the adhesive at the edge. possibly looks better too Spray the lot with ceramic coating
Carefully remove the old window, if possible. Place it in a sand or clay cradle so that it has support from all sides. Place a new Plexiglas on top of it, fasten it with clips and form the shape with an air heater. When it cools down, cut according to the pre-marked pattern. Repeat the process but now from the opposite side with a new piece of plexiglass, it's cheap. Of course, put it in a certain place as it was before. That's how you get a mold with which you can eventually make money. I haven't tried it, but it's just an idea.
I like Lexan, screw holes will not Crack. Use 180 grit sand paper to etch outer edge an bond to hull with 3 M 5200, will not turn loose in any temp. One should never use a harsh cleaner, it removes the plasticizers on surface of all plastics, will cause surface crazing.
Raced with a guy who worked at a Jeanneau US dealer where they took imported boats and “finished them for sale.” He used to joke that the boat would come over on a boat.. .and the interior was FILLED with boxes filled with all of the stuff you need to prep a boat for sale. Long story short. . .NOTHING fit, they had to bend hammer cajole, doing damage to get the damn boat to market. He said the Benes he prepared were completely different. Based on this, I would NEVER buy a Jenny. Good video.
My first blue water sailboat was a C&C 48 Landfall, big windows, major norther (several boats sank). Serious portal leaks. We put a one piece external aluminum rim 1-1/2" on the pilot house "windows" and never had leakage again. And it was storm tested (nothing like the double norther earlier). Also, my third boat was a Lagoon 47. Hope they have improved. Hull was "less than" but was not a long term boat. Long term was a Mason 54, awesome, repeatedly sailed safely while others ridding it out at anchor. Your info was a very helpful reminder as we look for a 4th blue water boat.
Jeanneau: a camper on water. "Today there is no wind, let's go sailing!" I once saw someone's interior being smashed into chips in a wind force of 6 against the current and against the wind. Flat tires all day long. We put it all together with Sikaflex! Damm frogs!
I hope a plexi company starts mass production. I’ve made custom curved headlight lenses for an old car. We 3D printed the negative and heated the plexi in the oven and pressed it over the mold. The mold could be reused so I hope this will become a non-issue wants the aftermarket gets around to it.
I would love to buy either a Jenneau or a Benetau if I had the money, but as someone who is living on the very cheap end of sailing life with a 5 grand boat being just in my budget, i suspect they'll always be out of reach. Lovely video though, I'd never even considered the windows a problem. When the windows on my Marcon Cutlass started leaking I just slapped a thick coat of LSX on and carried on with my day. They'll probably need re-doing annually, but LSX is cheap if you care more about practicality than style.
I have a Jeanneau Sun Magic 44 from 1988. We replaced all fixed windows 2 years ago because they were all "craquellé" (scratched from wear such that you couldn't look through it). No leakage yet. We took the windows in a sunny week, brought them to a plexi shop that had a machine that copied each window. Uninstall/install was trivial, but took some time. They also told me they could do any bend window, provided a 3d model existed or a window they could mirror. Maybe Jeanneau could publish the AutoCAD drawings? My only issue with the new ones is that they wear much quicker than the original. Not sure what treatment the plexi can get to prevent that.
For a replacement 'window' I'd get a flat custom tempered glass pane made of approximately the shape of the broken one, pyrolytic coated with a nice reflective bronze (St.Gobain sun-ban). Maybe 1/2 inch thick. Then fully encase the edges in a bolted and sealed purple heart frame, having an outside flange. The frame takes care of the trajectory of the hull up to the porthole so that the opening can be perfectly sealed. The assembly will be super strong, the visual effect as good as ever could be, and the window will never again degrade.
you can vacume form plexi glass. just need a form made from wood of the correct shape, a vacume and an oven.. done and done. honestly, makes me wonder if it would be a good idea to make a company just to make these glass shapes.. what do they usually run for from the factory?
Long time small boat sailor, and longer time composite experience, I think you could do this… Before removing the old “window” 🙄 glass up a mold of each one, then cut a paper template for the raw material with some material allowance all around. Thermoform new polycarbonate to fit the previously mentioned glass molds. This way you can go through the whole process before pulling the old, uh… “window”. Don’t go doing this and expecting it to be perfect, this is literally first blush kind of thoughts of what I might do. It should be “easy” with the heaviest of heavy air quotes.
You could even follow up with a bunch of 1/32” or .5mm holes in the mold and vacuum form it if you have some 3d curvature. There are plenty of good tutorials for vacuum forming pretty thick polycarbonate.
Appreciate the good content, thx. However, issue of leaking windows is portrayed as if every Jeanneau window will eventually leak and i can‘t corroborate that. New and more recent vintages don’t have the issue. Older boats I could see may exhibit leaking- then you have to take care of it. Saildrive is a much bigger issue, 😢curious if you could make a video of saildrive issues? 😊
As a guess, Id go for some how mounting one end of plexi glass and using a heat gun carefully {keep it moving at reasonable distance} and heat it until soft enough to bend and you can have someone else follow behind with a wet rag of cooling water gently wiping it to cool and ensure it stays in its new place. Cause Ive never worked with the stuff but Im assuming it plastic. Look in you eye at the end of your helpful video looks like you brought one, maybe thats why all the back up comments about confirming to buy one. Ant life a dandy. I wouldnt have known a Jenoa for a bar of soap.
Acrylic is the poor cousin to polycarbonate in the first place I'd be using a thinner thickness and try to get the compound curve. Mind you acrylic is a thermoplastic and thus is easy to heat and bend. Polycarb isn't and is a thermoset but it too can be heat bent but it's very easy to go too far and bubble and degrade. Very thin polycarbonate is extremely strong weight and if thick enough bullet proof.
Would it be possible to add a thin plexiglass over layer and increase the bolt length? Effectively making a 2nd window cover. Like with car headlight covers? Protect the actual window and you won’t have to worry so much about damage to the protective layer as it doesn’t need to be exact
im having a tough time... ive been trying to decide between Oyster and Halberg-Rassey, they both look perfect, i just cant figure out how to make enough money to afford either one... hahaha
I reproduce aftermarket screens for many years.... All I need are the originals (which can be broken) screens. It should be mentioned that CELL CAST acrylic should be used. The problem is not the manufacturing process. Believe it or not. The main problem is the shipping and the shipping costs. Especially if screens must be shipped overseas.
No there aren't. This guy is just making up stuff. He litteraly has zero experience with sailing except for the one second piece of film with him sitting in one. He wants to buy a boat but can't seem to make up his mind about which one.
hi, rented a 40 foot Jeaneau for a few weeks when Covid kept me separated from my own boat. it was great fun but then things started going wrong and i took a longer look at construction. lot of plywood expanding out due to moisture and not easy to replace especially in the heads. design terrific. but my 43 foot beneteau is just better built every thing sealed and the heads are mostly fiberglass so not the same deterioration. the Jeaneau has the shrouds coming down mid deck but Beneteau is fitted out side on the hull, much easy to walk around the deck. my conclusion Beneteau is higher quality.
@@Sailerryan hi, it was a 2012 Sun Odyssey 409. Really enjoyed our time with her but also very pleased I bought a 2008 beneteau that feels more durable.
When I was realy in sailing stuff, 40 or 35 years ago, the Jeanneau sailboats didn't realy have a good reputation for the quaity of their building. Thin GRP for the hull, thiner GRP for the deck, poor quality plywood and plastiky things for the inside, glued windows, etc... They didn't give you the feeling you were on a "serious boat", something strongly built. But it was many years ago, maybe they've improved their building quality in the meantime.
Did you ever did a vid about the Danish Grinde, designed by Peter Bruun, 82years old and working on his fifth design. All his designs have whale names and they sail realy well.
The main difference between Beneteau and Jeanneau is the target audience. Beneteau is sporty and performance and Jeanneau is geared towards the cruising audience. Shorter top masts, shallow keels, less sail area. The leaking windows are a minute problem compared to the biggest problem at least in the 80’s and 90’s boats: difficult and expensive to repair when run aground. We have an archipelago with 200 000+ islands and millions of undewater stones and banks. It is not if you have been on a ground, but rather when. There was a period when the boats had a sort of a double shell structure that hid all the stuff you wanted easy access to in the bilge making them a pita to repair. I have no idea about the current status.
Only your older model Jeanneau that you happen to love has the window concern. The “deck salon” has the curved windows. Your sensational title attempts to grab viewership at the expense of all Jeanneau owners. Even the DS rarely have window issues. But so many models all have flat plexi. While I know you really love the Jeanneau for it’s styling I think you should be ashamed for shaming the overall Jeanneau name so you can attract viewers. These owners have invested big money and don’t need sensational value killers. Go beat on the lagoon 45 bulkheads that’s a very real concern. I’ve owned a new Jeanneau 519 and currently own a new when I bought it Jeanneau 58 and both have been wonderful boats that I’d sail anywhere. As a captain I’ve sailed many different brand boats on deliveries and I’ll tell you there is a bunch of junk out there but I’d sail a Jeanneau any day out in the ocean. Most boats are structurally sound it’s the junky parts and rigging that is the problem in many cases. Some vendors of systems should be ashamed and your viewers should be focused by you on the good and bad systems for hvac, fresh water, power, rigging, winches, nav systems. These are the things that really go bad all the time and don’t have to. See you at the show.
They are not free. That’s my biggest problem with them
Acrylic and silicone should fix your problem and try a race car builder for help
Interesting video, thanks. I just want to add that I owned a Jeanneau 54DS for 5 years and sailed her around the World. I never had any problem with any leaky windows and there is an enormous window area on that model. I put this down to always fitting the external window covers when the sun was at its fiercest, even when sailing unless it was particularly stormy. It was a reliable and sturdy boat and looked after me on many occasions.
j ai le même
de 2004 , c est un superbe bateau
une vraie réussite
Profitez en ++++🤩🤩
J54DS is a dreamboat you lucky bastard..😊
I've had a replacement window made, it was curved in two directions. They made it no problem at all, using the old one as a template, and heated the replacement, and used the old window to match the curve.
if done at a good enough cost you got a nice side hustle.
Dow 795 building sealant for rebedding sailboat port lights.......did it myself, works great. The stuff is specifically made for sealing and adhering windows on high-rise office buildings and is good with plastics.
And use the primer
THANK YOU, about to order windows for my old Tanzer 22!
@@andrewpinard6125 and .r.ead the tech specs on how to use.
yes 795 is the best!
I redid the port lights on my Sun Odyssey 32. They’re acrylic, not lexan or plexiglas. Local plastics shop cut new, tinted pieces from the ones I broke while removing. New pieces were flat, with rounded edges. Acrylic comes with protection on both sides. I trimmed the edge of the inside and primed it with Sika primer. Then I ground the old bedding compound off the cabin top with a fibrox wheel. Primed that. Masking was key. Then I bedded the new acrylic, taped it in place and weighted it with a bag of pennies hung from the boom. It helped the tape hold the curve until the sika bedding compound set up. I haven’t had a leak in 5 years. The replacement looks great. Please don’t try to make it scary.
I replaced one port light on my Ravage 36 -copy. The old one was 8 mm plexiglass and the new one is 6 mm polycarbonate... The shop where I ordered it did not have 8 mm PC in lengths over 2 m.
The shop did a bit of a mess while gluing it so I did a smaller sky light myself and it is much nicer. Masking, thorough cleaning and primer required but possible for a diy person.
Did your plastics shop need a template for the port pieces, though?
@@MondoRockable The old was split into to two pieces and I broke it to three pieces while removing but yes, the shop had a template.
Gone With The Wynns spent several episodes detailing their travails in replacing their curved windows on their Leopard catamaran. No fun at all. It's a valid concern.
When I bought my SO50DS over 10 years ago, the French Jeanneau dealer told me there's a company in Hyeres (South of France) that's been making plexiglass curved windows for years.
I'm not sure that replacing curved Jeanneau windows is really an issue at all.
Also, I've never had any leaks.
My suggestion for curved windows - use masking and mold release to coat the old window while it's in place, then coat in fiberglass/resin to make a full scale 3D mold of the window. Send the mold to a specialist who can shape the plexi window to match the mold that was made.
I was thinking along these lines, too. You’d need to add a support structure to the fiberglass to keep it from flexing and twisting. Shouldn’t be too hard to do.
That was my thought too...
Parlay Revival did this with molded non-skid in episode 45. You’d need to add structure to the mold but quite a similar idea.
or just provide a 3d scan of the window and the company can cut a foan or timber mould to heat form the window to
@@gmoose777 One would think Jeanneau, as OEM, would have a CNC template file for all their windows. I presume asking them to release the file is a whole other fight.
I love that he uses "decorated by a 10 year old" as a compliment. If you ask a room full of kids to raise their hand if they think of themselves as an artist, most of them will. If you repeat the same with a room full of adults you'll almost see the inverse. Something about growing up tamps down our creative spirit. Remember to dream and create like you did when you were a little kid.
And remember not to buy products designed solely by artist types intended for transportation and life support.
Unless you have deep pockets and ready access to rescue services.
We have this issue occurring now on our 2008 SO 42DS. Thank you for bringing it up as a topic.
Curved plexiglass, especially mild compound curves, is a common airplane fabrication, and a good number of curved windows are of home origin. If your plane is rare, you have to get a window made backyard. LP Plastics in Pa makes windows. Maybe they could add boat windows to their list.
That's is great info!!!! That's is exactly the kind of data we all need to make educated decisions!!!!
My Jeanneau So342 doesn't have curved windows. They also don't leak on a 23 year old boat. I made and fitted new windows to my previous S&S Defiance 30 using scotch VHB tape. Sikaflex is the sealant, it doesn't stick windows on. I looked at a few Hunters before I bought a Jeanneau. I'm very glad I passed on them.
Sikaflex makes sealants, adhesive sealants (used for portlights) and adhesives. Try telling someone trying to remove something bonded with Sikaflex 5200 that it doesn't stick things on. But make sure you can duck and or run fast!
Its why I love my 33.5 Hunter Legend, shes not the youngest girl (1989) but 6ft headroom, walk through transom and a decent sized cabin
Would love to learn more about hunter legend there flaws and qualities
@@joeldelamirande5792 the engine sucks! Yanmar 2GM20F.... absolute pig to start in cold weather lol
I've got a Beeny oceanis 400 1994, it was Marie Finot designing one of his last vessels, and it is stunning visually and practically. I sail the Pacific and the subframe does creak while the hull flex, its actually a nice way to loose force on the yacht. Anyway see you all out there sometime.
As always, GREAT information!! THANK YOU!! Looking forward to seeing you in Annapolis!!!
We had the exact problem as described when we were hit by a storm in the adriatic with a chartered Sun Odyssey 349. Things got pretty wet in there..
Looking forward retiring on the J53 , Had Benes , J35 all much the same but that aft cabin & walk around bunk & the electric sheet winches on the 53 wow Comfort & speed with good looks hard to beat
A good business opportunity for a marine glazing company. It would be relatively easy to take a casting of a complex curved window, while it is still on the boat, and then use that casting in a large oven to heat form new polycarbonate or acrylic to match. Polycarbonates like Lexan can be over 10x stronger than acrylics like Plexiglass, but plexi tens to hold up to UV and scratches better. Both materials come in dozens of different types, from many different sources.
For Jeanneau to orphan old customers when it would cost relatively little to stockpile ports, or just sell the tooling, is most inhospitable.
It would be easier if Jeanneau provided the CAD files for the molds to anyone who asks.
@@texarama I guess there are no CAD files for a 40 year old boat. Someone made a hull design on paper. Then it was likely build with wood on plywood. Then a negative was made in fibreglass. Some of those shapes were used to model the tool. It was not a big deal.
I watched a video on "Bryan Sailing" Episode 23 where he fixed a curved window on an Antares Catamaran. He made a template from the window hole, cut out a flat piece of plexiglass/acrylic and used heat guns to form the plexiglass into the hole. The process really starts about 15 mins into the video. It seamed to work.
Thank you for mentioning one of the best lake and coastal boats - the Cherubini Hunter's. They are pretty good in light air. But when the air fills in, the skipper of a Cherubini gets to wave goodbye to all of the other monohulls that are even close to their length. I sail the Cherubini everytime it's available in our club.
A great design
Interesting video not only about Jeanneau windows, but about the history of Jeanneau. I had leaky windows on a 1974 Dehler Varianta 65, and because of that and other problems, I sold her and bought a 2005 Jeanneau Sun 2500. Interestingly, the Sun 2500 does not have any of those fancy windows--only small ones that are probably easily replaced. There are no problems with leaks, but I actually wish that the windows were a bit larger, because I find it a bit dark in the cabin. These are the pluses and minuses...
There is a pretty easy solution. Heat plexiglas to over 400 F. Place it on lambs fur. Wearing lambs fur mittens, shape the window. Bends and compound curves aren't much different. Cut and polish and drill your windows then paint the edges after it fits. People build plexiglas windows for planes at home or in small batches. That's where you look it up. Full fledged compound windows for boats wasn't a great idea. Jeanneau probably used the same compound curve over and over again.
Tim, a 3D scanner, and automated 3D router to duplicate the curve, to make a male mold. This is not cheap, but once the mold is made, reproduction of the ports is cheaper, by far. Something for the owners' association to think over.
Just chartered a 41 jeanneau this Friday. As long as Tampa Bay isn't destroyed tomorrow. I hate the ikea interior. But happy to sail ⛵️ her to get my captains license.
A “modern” Jeanneau 41 is very pretty and a competent sailing vessel. But it doesn’t sail like an older Jeanneau (I have sailed a 369, a 389, a 469, a 45 DS at now a 50 DS and by far the latter two, which are older Philip Briand designs are the best sailing of all of those). Thankfully (and I’m in Fort Lauderdale so I don’t like the damn hurricanes either) it looks like you’re going to escape the worst in Tampa. It looks like the hurricane is headed straight for Saint Marks (population less than 300) Florida not even Apalachicola. I’m truly sorry for all 300 people in Saint Marks, but compared to dead hitting Tampa Bay, which is shallow as all get out up near the city and the storm surge that would result, and the fact we can already almost not get insurance in Florida on anything not even an automobile (not because of climate change, but because we are surrounded by water, and the insurance companies are screwing us along with the trial lawyers and I’m a lawyer, so I can say that). In God’s universe it’s as about as good as we could hope for.
Good luck with your certifications! I’m sure you’ll get them.
@haroldfletcher5493 hey there. Thank you so much for taking the time to write. We a flying out 5am Friday to Tampa. I sure hope St Pete an the people there are ok. An be selfish I hope our flight ✈️ isn't delayed. My dream boat. ( but I am having a hard time finding) is the Hunter 50cc. Looks like I'll have to settle for the 45cc. Wife and i want to spend a couple years in the Caribbean. N Bahamas.
Had a 45DS for 10 years and never had a leakage problem. Love Jeanneau’s.
Thank you. This makes me feel better that the windows on my old Catalina leak a little bit. I attack them with black silicone about every 3 years.
Beneteau Oceanis and Bavaria Vision have the same sort of windows not to mention Oyster and a myriad of other designs.
Very good video. I have a 28’ yacht with 6 basic rectangular “windows” got quoted 2.4 k NZ$ to do the job.
I balked at the price, did it myself and decided after the job that 2.4K was a bargain.
A Jeanneau I love the look of and was thinking about buying was the Jeanneau espace 1100. The windows were completely buggered, crazed, you could barely see through.
Have a look at the shape profile of that one. This vid is a great reminder to keep this in mind when buying one of these. They’re definitely the Citroen DS of the boat world.
Great information! Thank you
yes , even with my hunter 336, the flat windows are a pain to seal correctly , when it rains hard , there is a small drip somewhere
Everyone can find something wrong with anything if they want. Any production boat is a compromise and repairing items going wrong with a boat is something you deal with on almost a daily basis if you want to keep her pristine.
My own 16 year old Sun Odyssey 42DS in in wonderful condition and always being admired because I look after her. Windows as you will note from other comments are repaired simply and the modern fixing methods are used throughout the industry. So stop making silly rubbishing comments about one of the manufacturers just to make money.
Hope to see you there at Annapolis. We are super excited.
Another great video, entertaining and simultaneously filled with valuable insights. Thanks again Tim! All the best, Marty
Glad you enjoyed it
I replaced my catalina 380 lights and used 3M High bonding tape. It’s a get it right the first time process but a much cleaner process then sealant.
My Sunrise 1985 has glassed tabbing on all bulkheads and furniture. Very solid compared to newer pan type models. Does not creak in a seaway like à Beneteau
I have a 2010 Jeanneau SO 44i, no DS fisheye windows, no leaks no worries, but I will be making 3D templates with tyvek and spray foam and maybe look to get replacements made.
Topic for another video..im prepping my oceanis 46 for an offshore cruise next year. In new zealand we have probably the worlds strictest requirements for resident boatsto be allowed to leave nz waters. All about safety and reducing rescues so good idea. One of the regulations is to have solid storm covers for any windows port lights cabin or deck Plexi hatches. What kind of arrangements have people come up with to fit these temporary covers without making a god awful mess of your deck and cabon top. Cheers tim
Made them in shaped stainless steel with removable fly screw
As always great content and love learning more about boats with every video. Would it be possible to consider a video on how to get more experience. I have an idea what boat I'd like but no clue how to improve experience (without costly courses and exams)
Got one on my channel Huub Vlogs, New Sailboat Owners First Year FULLTIME Sailing the Caribbean that you might be interested in..
Super point that affects many boats with space age style port lights. Buddy has a Tanzer.
Flexseal to the rescue.
wow you really drill down on topics! Great stuff, Tim
Thanks for watching!
hi Tim, awesome work with your vids they are very informative. what can you tell us about the HANSE line of boats? they seem reasonably priced second hand, does that speak to quality? i would love to see you do a review on them please.
I heated the sauna to 120 degrees Celsius and used a mold to push the window to the hull and create a torqued shape
Aftermarket windows sounds like a market opportunity... The black surrounding on windows is called a Frit and protects the sealant as well as diffuses the heat.
My sailboat a Swedish built in Orust, Malö 116/40 ft, 1985. The boat will last for 500 year. I sinngelhanded outsailed Jeanneau and the sister Beneteau sister when they have 10 hands on deck in storm. They gave up and fleed to safe. My sailboat are old style but I will never sail the world without ther. Top speed are 14,2 knots. Downhill and a beer inside.
They can be hand blown just like aircraft windshields are. Basically build a mold, an old set of lenses would be best to get the correct shape and lay a flat sheet over the mold and use a torch to melt the plexiglass and let it say into the mold. Then cool. You will need a mold releasing agent that withstands the heat. Very common with experimental aircraft construction.
I was given a tour of the South Carolina factory before they closed in late 2019. That plant made both Beneteau and Jeanneau. Right on the same production line. Same workers. Same materials. I passed on a Jeanneau 53. Regret it often. My Hunter 41DS had a nicer interior.
I redid the portholes on my Jeanneau Sunrise using 3/8 inch tinted plexiglass. Cut them using a skill saw with a metal blade, sanded edges and rounded the edges with a 3/8 bit on my router. Sanded them to glass smooth and glued them with 3m Vhb tape and Dow Corning 895. Painted the plexiglass black where it meets the deackhouse. Looks like a new boat, does not leak. We’ll see how long it last. Most difficult like mentioned was removing the old caulking.
Bravo.. and still not much to help for people with an odd protruding 3D window now is it?😊
Hi all, Australian product FIXTECH FS200 is the answer to your acrylic window / portlight problem. Other products use isocyanate primers that eat the acrylic. Fixtech have the right amount of bonding allowing elasticity required for expansion and contraction. Acrylic swimming pool manufactures use this product!!
Thanks Tim.....
Another problem with those big windows is that it turns the inside of the boat into a very hot greenhouse when the sun comes up and when you are inside, you can't see out of them anyway.
Glass the hole in and put proper port lights in...plus you'll gain ventilation.
I have an 09 42DS and got a leak on the port side above my switch panel adjacent to the nav table. As such it was raining inside my breaker panel. Long story short, I went to seal it up and the window broke. I managed to get it back in and no leaks so far, but the window has got to be replaced soon. I called Jeanneau and they told me I was out of luck. There aren't words for the way I feel about this. Anyway, after a ton of research I am sure that I can make new windows, but it will take creating a mold out of the existing window and using heavily tinted plexiglass to protect the SikaFlex. I am planning the work for next spring, so stay tuned. As a side note, I also plan on removing the windows on the deck near the mast and replacing them with fiberglass panels as the windows are useless anyway. Anyway, if you talk to Jeanneau please relay my extreme displeasure with their customer service.
A 349 owner for 8 years. The leaky windows was the only problem I had and it was not a good problem to have.
See you at the show, I will be working the SaltyDawg's both and might have my Gozzard in the mooring field
My 1996 Sun Odyssey has ports with the gasket on the edge of the window, in a small rabbett routed into the clear plastic. They are starting to leak now
So remove the old window as complete as you can, make and test fit a template and have the new cut from it.
Now you can either use Sitka or that DOW 795 stuff that bonds windows into skyscrapers. You might want to put more work into that then I just did.
but now make a frame out of either ply, bent wood, or composite, routed to take the edge of the window, and bond it onto the edge of the glass
With 100% coverage of the edges this will do a better job of making a seal and protecting the adhesive at the edge. possibly looks better too
Spray the lot with ceramic coating
Carefully remove the old window, if possible. Place it in a sand or clay cradle so that it has support from all sides. Place a new Plexiglas on top of it, fasten it with clips and form the shape with an air heater. When it cools down, cut according to the pre-marked pattern. Repeat the process but now from the opposite side with a new piece of plexiglass, it's cheap. Of course, put it in a certain place as it was before. That's how you get a mold with which you can eventually make money. I haven't tried it, but it's just an idea.
You might find the designer you mentioned is Bruce Farr, not Bill Farr.
I like Lexan, screw holes will not Crack. Use 180 grit sand paper to etch outer edge an bond to hull with 3 M 5200, will not turn loose in any temp. One should never use a harsh cleaner, it removes the plasticizers on surface of all plastics, will cause surface crazing.
Raced with a guy who worked at a Jeanneau US dealer where they took imported boats and “finished them for sale.” He used to joke that the boat would come over on a boat.. .and the interior was FILLED with boxes filled with all of the stuff you need to prep a boat for sale. Long story short. . .NOTHING fit, they had to bend hammer cajole, doing damage to get the damn boat to market. He said the Benes he prepared were completely different. Based on this, I would NEVER buy a Jenny. Good video.
The other issue with the long one piece windows is tgat they break really easily if you hard stand the boat and it is not propped correctly.
My first blue water sailboat was a C&C 48 Landfall, big windows, major norther (several boats sank). Serious portal leaks. We put a one piece external aluminum rim 1-1/2" on the pilot house "windows" and never had leakage again. And it was storm tested (nothing like the double norther earlier). Also, my third boat was a Lagoon 47. Hope they have improved. Hull was "less than" but was not a long term boat. Long term was a Mason 54, awesome, repeatedly sailed safely while others ridding it out at anchor. Your info was a very helpful reminder as we look for a 4th blue water boat.
Jeanneau: a camper on water. "Today there is no wind, let's go sailing!" I once saw someone's interior being smashed into chips in a wind force of 6 against the current and against the wind. Flat tires all day long. We put it all together with Sikaflex! Damm frogs!
I hope a plexi company starts mass production. I’ve made custom curved headlight lenses for an old car. We 3D printed the negative and heated the plexi in the oven and pressed it over the mold. The mold could be reused so I hope this will become a non-issue wants the aftermarket gets around to it.
The cheapest and the simpliest solution is to design well and make curved plastic extension on the cabin with a flat window.
Love the VinWiki t-shirt!
Cheers.
I would love to buy either a Jenneau or a Benetau if I had the money, but as someone who is living on the very cheap end of sailing life with a 5 grand boat being just in my budget, i suspect they'll always be out of reach. Lovely video though, I'd never even considered the windows a problem. When the windows on my Marcon Cutlass started leaking I just slapped a thick coat of LSX on and carried on with my day. They'll probably need re-doing annually, but LSX is cheap if you care more about practicality than style.
Why not adding a piece of opaque rubber or similar between the sikaflex and the window to prevent sunburn ?
Norva Plastics in Norfolk VA can recreate windows ...if you have the original as a template.
Portlights that do not open are Deadlights.
I have a Jeanneau Sun Magic 44 from 1988. We replaced all fixed windows 2 years ago because they were all "craquellé" (scratched from wear such that you couldn't look through it). No leakage yet. We took the windows in a sunny week, brought them to a plexi shop that had a machine that copied each window. Uninstall/install was trivial, but took some time. They also told me they could do any bend window, provided a 3d model existed or a window they could mirror. Maybe Jeanneau could publish the AutoCAD drawings?
My only issue with the new ones is that they wear much quicker than the original. Not sure what treatment the plexi can get to prevent that.
For a replacement 'window' I'd get a flat custom tempered glass pane made of approximately the shape of the broken one, pyrolytic coated with a nice reflective bronze (St.Gobain sun-ban). Maybe 1/2 inch thick. Then fully encase the edges in a bolted and sealed purple heart frame, having an outside flange. The frame takes care of the trajectory of the hull up to the porthole so that the opening can be perfectly sealed. The assembly will be super strong, the visual effect as good as ever could be, and the window will never again degrade.
you can vacume form plexi glass. just need a form made from wood of the correct shape, a vacume and an oven.. done and done. honestly, makes me wonder if it would be a good idea to make a company just to make these glass shapes.. what do they usually run for from the factory?
Why the black edge around windows? Always wondered about that in _cars_ !
Now I know... UV damages the bonding material. 👍
Long time small boat sailor, and longer time composite experience, I think you could do this… Before removing the old “window” 🙄 glass up a mold of each one, then cut a paper template for the raw material with some material allowance all around. Thermoform new polycarbonate to fit the previously mentioned glass molds. This way you can go through the whole process before pulling the old, uh… “window”.
Don’t go doing this and expecting it to be perfect, this is literally first blush kind of thoughts of what I might do. It should be “easy” with the heaviest of heavy air quotes.
You could even follow up with a bunch of 1/32” or .5mm holes in the mold and vacuum form it if you have some 3d curvature. There are plenty of good tutorials for vacuum forming pretty thick polycarbonate.
Appreciate the good content, thx. However, issue of leaking windows is portrayed as if every Jeanneau window will eventually leak and i can‘t corroborate that. New and more recent vintages don’t have the issue. Older boats I could see may exhibit leaking- then you have to take care of it. Saildrive is a much bigger issue, 😢curious if you could make a video of saildrive issues? 😊
As a guess, Id go for some how mounting one end of plexi glass and using a heat gun carefully {keep it moving at reasonable distance} and heat it until soft enough to bend and you can have someone else follow behind with a wet rag of cooling water gently wiping it to cool and ensure it stays in its new place. Cause Ive never worked with the stuff but Im assuming it plastic. Look in you eye at the end of your helpful video looks like you brought one, maybe thats why all the back up comments about confirming to buy one. Ant life a dandy. I wouldnt have known a Jenoa for a bar of soap.
Acrylic is the poor cousin to polycarbonate in the first place I'd be using a thinner thickness and try to get the compound curve. Mind you acrylic is a thermoplastic and thus is easy to heat and bend. Polycarb isn't and is a thermoset but it too can be heat bent but it's very easy to go too far and bubble and degrade. Very thin polycarbonate is extremely strong weight and if thick enough bullet proof.
Would it be possible to add a thin plexiglass over layer and increase the bolt length?
Effectively making a 2nd window cover. Like with car headlight covers?
Protect the actual window and you won’t have to worry so much about damage to the protective layer as it doesn’t need to be exact
Hunter's from the 90's onward never sailed well. Love my 94 beneteau first 265.
im having a tough time... ive been trying to decide between Oyster and Halberg-Rassey, they both look perfect, i just cant figure out how to make enough money to afford either one... hahaha
I’ll see you at the boat show brother!!
I reproduce aftermarket screens for many years....
All I need are the originals (which can be broken) screens.
It should be mentioned that CELL CAST acrylic should be used.
The problem is not the manufacturing process. Believe it or not. The main problem is the shipping and the shipping costs.
Especially if screens must be shipped overseas.
Sounds like there are about to be lots of inexpensive Jeanneaus on the market. Looking forward to Sam Holmes sailing one.
No there aren't. This guy is just making up stuff. He litteraly has zero experience with sailing except for the one second piece of film with him sitting in one. He wants to buy a boat but can't seem to make up his mind about which one.
swedish fish 4
@@SuperDirk1965 Who are you talking about ? Lady K Tim or Sam Holmes ?
Zzzzzz
I would make a custom plywood insert and the install standard port lights into that piece.
hi, rented a 40 foot Jeaneau for a few weeks when Covid kept me separated from my own boat. it was great fun but then things started going wrong and i took a longer look at construction. lot of plywood expanding out due to moisture and not easy to replace especially in the heads. design terrific. but my 43 foot beneteau is just better built every thing sealed and the heads are mostly fiberglass so not the same deterioration. the Jeaneau has the shrouds coming down mid deck but Beneteau is fitted out side on the hull, much easy to walk around the deck. my conclusion Beneteau is higher quality.
Interesting observations. Do you remember what year or model Jeanneau it was?
@@Sailerryan hi, it was a 2012 Sun Odyssey 409. Really enjoyed our time with her but also very pleased I bought a 2008 beneteau that feels more durable.
When I was realy in sailing stuff, 40 or 35 years ago, the Jeanneau sailboats didn't realy have a good reputation for the quaity of their building. Thin GRP for the hull, thiner GRP for the deck, poor quality plywood and plastiky things for the inside, glued windows, etc... They didn't give you the feeling you were on a "serious boat", something strongly built.
But it was many years ago, maybe they've improved their building quality in the meantime.
Did you ever did a vid about the Danish Grinde, designed by Peter Bruun, 82years old and working on his fifth design. All his designs have whale names and they sail realy well.
That’s why the Jeanneau hired a designer …to design non practical ‘’ windows’’and hard to replace…
4:07 I like that design more. Its more functional and looks just as fast.
Tim, are you going to go sailing? Seems like several years since you were in the Caribbean. Was that as far as you sailed?
The main difference between Beneteau and Jeanneau is the target audience. Beneteau is sporty and performance and Jeanneau is geared towards the cruising audience. Shorter top masts, shallow keels, less sail area.
The leaking windows are a minute problem compared to the biggest problem at least in the 80’s and 90’s boats: difficult and expensive to repair when run aground. We have an archipelago with 200 000+ islands and millions of undewater stones and banks. It is not if you have been on a ground, but rather when. There was a period when the boats had a sort of a double shell structure that hid all the stuff you wanted easy access to in the bilge making them a pita to repair. I have no idea about the current status.
Only your older model Jeanneau that you happen to love has the window concern. The “deck salon” has the curved windows. Your sensational title attempts to grab viewership at the expense of all Jeanneau owners. Even the DS rarely have window issues. But so many models all have flat plexi. While I know you really love the Jeanneau for it’s styling I think you should be ashamed for shaming the overall Jeanneau name so you can attract viewers. These owners have invested big money and don’t need sensational value killers. Go beat on the lagoon 45 bulkheads that’s a very real concern. I’ve owned a new Jeanneau 519 and currently own a new when I bought it Jeanneau 58 and both have been wonderful boats that I’d sail anywhere. As a captain I’ve sailed many different brand boats on deliveries and I’ll tell you there is a bunch of junk out there but I’d sail a Jeanneau any day out in the ocean. Most boats are structurally sound it’s the junky parts and rigging that is the problem in many cases. Some vendors of systems should be ashamed and your viewers should be focused by you on the good and bad systems for hvac, fresh water, power, rigging, winches, nav systems. These are the things that really go bad all the time and don’t have to. See you at the show.
My boat was designed in 1914. All parts still available.
🤣🤣🤣
I bet you have experienced the “raining in bed” lifestyle
Saran wrap super glue and a blow dryer is all you need 😂
Here's a solution, Janeau can supply a digital copy of all their windows and they can be CNCd.
The Marion South Carolina Bendytoy factory is making pools now so at least the crew is still employed
I've learned a lot, Thank you!
Gone with the Wynns had their Leopard compound windows remade by Cambrian plastic in Auckland.
Yep. I believe it took 3 tries, though.