Acrylic washboards

greggron

greggron

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The three part washboards need replacing on the Sadler 25. I am contemplating replacing them with two black and one clear acrylic ones. A couple of questions:

Does anyone know someone who can make such things near Gosport or Abingdon at a reasonable price? if so, contact details please

I am assuming that they will be long-lasting and maintenance free, are there any weaknesses I should be aware of?


As always, any guidance gratefully received.
 
washboards - Eagle Boat Windows
www.eagleboatwindows.co.uk/washboard.asp‎
Acrylic washboards have many advantages over traditional wooden ones: 1. Acrylic washboards allow light into your cabin but offer a degree of privacy if a ...


Clear Acrylic Washboards
hadlo-43547-001.dsvr.co.uk/Pages/clearwashboards.html‎
We manufacture and supply clear and tinted acrylic washboards for yachts in thicknesses to suit river, estuary, coastal and ocean going. We also stock a large ...

Boat Windows | Project Plastics UK, Essex.
www.projectplastics.co.uk/boat-windows.html‎
Project plastics can make 1, 2 and 3 section acrylic washboards to any size in ... is pulled up tight putting the material under great stress, eventually the Perspex ...
 
coopec said:
Washboards
We manufacture 1, 2 & 3 part washboards in Perspex/acrylic, which allows light into your cabin whilst keeping it secure. Using a tint ensures you maintain a level of privacy. Unlike wood, acrylic will not rot or deteriorate.


http://www.sunlightplastics.co.uk/boat-windows-hatches-washboards-screens/
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I just had some acrylic windows made by Sunlight Plastics, Waterlooville, Hants. Quick service, good quality. I didn't have time to shop around for the best price but what they quoted seemed reasonable.
 
I got a quotation from Eagle for acrylic washboards for my boat. Once I had stopped laughing I found a plastics supplier on ebay who was happy to supply the sheet material, cut to the right size (including a sloping cut for the join between boards) for approximately 20% of the price. I have no reason to believe, by the way, that Eagle are particularly exorbitant.
 
For what it's worth, I bought a couple of sheets of 12mm polycarbonate cut approximately to size from an eBay supplier. Milled out the rebated overlap with a router, put them together on the bench, then drew round my old cracked 9mm acrylic boards, jigsawed closer to the line, and trimmed off the last bit with the router (the jigsaw tends to make a rough melty edge, the router cuts cleanly).

They fit perfectly on the boat, better than the old ones due to the extra thickness, and must be significantly stronger.

Pete
 
I bought some 10mm clear acrylic to replace our two piece wooden washboards. We now have a one piece board that is maintenance free and a very light cabin. The board has a large eye bolt at the top to secure it. This is bolted through and makes it easy to lift the board. we only use this eyebolt for security for relatively safe locations. When we leave the boat our stainless steel bars are secured across the board and padlocked on. The clear opening makes a work of difference to the feeling of the boat when down below on a wet day.
 
The suppliers already suggested are possibles, but you may also find a local sign maker will do the job. There is nothing "marine" about it. Just need a supplier who stocks acrylic or preferably polycarbonate and has the machinery to cut and finish the edges. Can be a DIY, but you may find a professional worth paying the bit extra to get a good finish.
 
Hadlow Marine made mine. Beautiful job. Edges thickened to fit the slot properly. Corners rounded off. Overlap was stepped rather than angled as they didn't want to produce a guillotine. SS vent. All by post made to a template. It is quite easy to get a lesser cheap job done.
 
MoodySabre said:
Overlap was stepped rather than angled as they didn't want to produce a guillotine.
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A "stepped" rebate works better anyway. Kindred Spirit had angled edges, and rain would come through if moored with the stern into a strong breeze. The only reason for a simple angled cut is that it's easy to make with a jigsaw or circular saw if you don't have a router.

Pete
 
Thanks

How does it work with describing what you want? Thickness I can do. Shape I can do by taking a template. But then when I get on to describe a rebated or angled join (which way), a hole for a vent, clasp for a padlock it just seems there's so much room for ambiguity and I'll probably end up with something that isn't just what I need. That's my biggest reservation. How do I get over that?
 
greggron said:
it just seems there's so much room for ambiguity and I'll probably end up with something that isn't just what I need. That's my biggest reservation. How do I get over that?
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Make it yourself? :)

Otherwise, I'd have thought that drawing these additional items on the template would do the job. For things like the rebate, which needs to be the right way round to keep the rain out, add a note emphasising the fact - a guy in a signwriting shop isn't going to know that and may make it backwards if you just draw it but don't say that orientation matters. Same if any dimensions are critical, or you'll get something like what you drew but perhaps not exact.

Pete
 
Tranona said:
The suppliers already suggested are possibles, but you may also find a local sign maker will do the job. There is nothing "marine" about it. Just need a supplier who stocks acrylic or preferably polycarbonate and has the machinery to cut and finish the edges. Can be a DIY, but you may find a professional worth paying the bit extra to get a good finish.
Click to expand...

As a matter of interest does modern acrylic still have a tendency to shatter under heavy impact such as a breaking wave? I thought uncoated poly scratches quite easily, which would kind of spoil the effect.
 
A sketch of the relevant details showing inside/outide and up/down should get you what you want. I have worked on acrylic for portlights and found it easy to cut (slowly) with a jigsaw and a good finished edge can be achieved by using a belt sander clamped upside down in the bench vice, like a linisher. The sander gets you a straight edge and the slight melting as you go results in a "polished" edge - win/win situation for once!

If you are tempted to make your own, then I would advise using a grey or bronze tint, not only for privacy but to prevent UV degradation of your saloon table, etc. A bleached stripe across the woodwork doesn't appeal. ordinary wood working tools can achieve a good result so long as you go slowly to avoid a meltdown. The most difficult is probably drilling a simple hole as the drill can grab and rip through without cutting properly - it has to be held back to ensure cutting, which is quite easy under a drill press but to drill by hand it is better to drastically reduced the cutting angle of the bit to reduce its cut.

It isn't easy to find a supplier of acrylic sheet thick enough to give a snug fit in the slides, but anything 10mm or more is plenty strong enough for most purposes (not planning on the Southern Ocean?) and strips can be glued along the edges for fit. Likewise the join between boards can be waterproofed by simply gluing a strip along the outside of the lower edge of each subsequent board, effectively giving a stepped join. Could be a cure for anyone with an angled join which leaks.

Rob.
 
TonyBuckley said:
My last boat had acrylic washboards. Very much liked them. Unfortunately they went overboard on a bumpy RTIR.

I'd be interested to know what price you are quoted.
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ORC Regs demand that you have retaining cords on your washboards - a simple idea brought in after Fastnet where two boats were probably lost due to their boards being lost overboard.

I'd suggest polycarbonate as superior to acrylic, less breakable and doesn't craze. It's only grievously under-spec thickness acrylic which gives way under breaking seas; 9mm for 600mm span is the figure I've been quoted as the minimum that should be used.
 
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