HR, Malo or Najad windscreen/extrustion

[Rappey]

some 35 years ago i wanted to build a windscreen for a motorboat. I worked for a double glazing company and we made aluminium windows.
I managed to couple together enough profiles and built a whole screen system using 6mm glass. you would have never known it was double glazing when it was completed.
Nowadays i would like a screen like the moodys and hr,s for my sailing boat. I had a look at secondary glazing aluminium profiles as one option.
this web site (and im sure many more) offer various extrusions, maybe you could make something work is the original part proves impossible to obtain ?
http://bespoke-ready-made-aluminium-products.co.uk/category/aluminium-channel/page/2/

 

[pandos]

It used to be, I bought new aluminium fixing rails from them. But they no longer offer them.

Fixing rail for Bjerg Windscreen

They seem to be still on the site....might be worth an email...

 

[fearmhuir]

Exactly . Seems to have just really come on with a vengeance in last 12 months . Couldn’t get to boat in spring this year and in September it had really taken hold . Having it looked at by local crowd in Croatia but don’t want a bodge job so may need to take a more radical approach next season . Age, a terrible process !

You have an OMetall screen the same as mine. Apparently Malo moved to them for a while, but whatever profiles they used corroded quite badly in contact with salt water. As a matter of course, after treating my screen, if I have been going to windward, with lots of salt water crashing over the screen, I wash every part of the screen, inside and out, with fresh water, particularly at the root of the vertical supports.
Since I refurbished my screen that has been standard procedure. You don't need a pressure washer, just a strong hose jet clears out any salt water from along the bottom channel. If salt water sits in the bottom channel of an OMetall screen it will corrode badly.
I do have some pics of my dismantling of my screen somewhere, and will post what I have given some time.
It is not a difficult job. I did it singlehanded, but would recommend two people. You have to be careful not to shatter any of the toughened glass panels, and refitting the top rail requires patience!

 

[pvb]

Fixing rail for Bjerg Windscreen

They seem to be still on the site....might be worth an email...

I thought the OP had a mid-90s boat, and that they'd have been fitting Ertec screens by then.

 

[fearmhuir]

I thought the OP had a mid-90s boat, and that they'd have been fitting Ertec screens by then.

I don't know the vintage of his boat, but he has OMetall logos on his screen glass as well. From what I have seen around, OMetall screens are prone to corrosion for whatever reason. My boat is 2003 build, and I had the same problem. I have seen Malos from the 1980s with perfect screens, and also more recent boats with no evidence of corrosion, so I suspect Malo used OMetall for a period of time until complaints arrived?

 

[fearmhuir]

Just for general information? When I dismantled my windscreen, I removed all the aluminium corrosion using a high pressure power washer. This was not a 'portable' washer, but one used for washing down badly fouled hulls, and used hot water. At full power and about three inches distance, it took about five minutes per inch to insure that all the 'white' corrosion was removed, and a grey aluminium colour was uniform over all the corroded places.
To dry everything, I used a hot air gun to dry everything, and then a coat of etching primer (Halfords?) was applied to everything.

 

[pandos]

Just for general information? When I dismantled my windscreen, I removed all the aluminium corrosion using a high pressure power washer. This was not a 'portable' washer, but one used for washing down badly fouled hulls, and used hot water. At full power and about three inches distance, it took about five minutes per inch to insure that all the 'white' corrosion was removed, and a grey aluminium colour was uniform over all the corroded places.
To dry everything, I used a hot air gun to dry everything, and then a coat of etching primer (Halfords?) was applied to everything.

I sanded and ground out my rot....and filled and covered it with vinyl wrap...

Looks better than it did..

I really want to make a hard dodger... But it won't happen this year... it will be all bodges...to get back on water ASAP...

 

[emnick]

If I remember correctly a company in Sweden called OMetall (sales.ometall@gmail.com) made the screens for Malo and Najad (not sure if they made for HR?) They seem to make all sorts of stuff from sandwich panels etc
I had a quote for our Malo 36 for around £2500 for a refurbishment kit that was in 2016. I think they do (did) a stainless conversion for about £5k The job is a PITA I am told but is DIY able. Their website is still there so perhaps still in business.

 

[willowcarroll]

i Will get the Hallberg Rassey components for the central opening section of the screen retro fitted and will certainly ask how they might help but the fact that there is no real ongoing “ ownership “ anymore for issues faced by Malo owners means self reliance is required which is why all the comments are really helpful . Thank you .

 

[willowcarroll]

You have an OMetall screen the same as mine. Apparently Malo moved to them for a while, but whatever profiles they used corroded quite badly in contact with salt water. As a matter of course, after treating my screen, if I have been going to windward, with lots of salt water crashing over the screen, I wash every part of the screen, inside and out, with fresh water, particularly at the root of the vertical supports.
Since I refurbished my screen that has been standard procedure. You don't need a pressure washer, just a strong hose jet clears out any salt water from along the bottom channel. If salt water sits in the bottom channel of an OMetall screen it will corrode badly.
I do have some pics of my dismantling of my screen somewhere, and will post what I have given some time.
It is not a difficult job. I did it singlehanded, but would recommend two people. You have to be careful not to shatter any of the toughened glass panels, and refitting the top rail requires patience!

That is excellent work by you . ill try and get same done . We’re here in Dublin , boat in Zadar Croatia , so won’t be hands on . The maintenance agenda list keeps growing !

 

[Caladh]

In an effort to get to the bottom of Malo yachts business situation I have an update and quote -:

Malö Yachts are still in business, now part of a collaboration with 3 other brands, collectively called the Sweden Yachts Group. Marketing and building Malö Yachts, CR Yachts, Regina Yachts and Sweden Yachts. Mattias Rutgersson is running the Sweden Yachts Group. His family founded CR Yachts and later bought Regina from the Rexander family. They are a small team and tryingin build up slowly. Across the brands they have several yachts in build and plans for new models.“ Dan, Malo Yachts UK

 

[andyc352]

i Will get the Hallberg Rassey components for the central opening section of the screen retro fitted and will certainly ask how they might help but the fact that there is no real ongoing “ ownership “ anymore for issues faced by Malo owners means self reliance is required which is why all the comments are really helpful . Thank you .

This is a link to a video by an Italian who has been refurbishing his HR31 to a very high standard. He’s just replaced his windscreen with new from ERTEC (a Danish company who are apparently still in business). According to him, they made all HR windscreens, but I’m not sure about that. He posts YouTube videos of his work under the name “sea 4see’. The windscreen video is here:

 

[pvb]

This is a link to a video by an Italian who has been refurbishing his HR31 to a very high standard. He’s just replaced his windscreen with new from ERTEC (a Danish company who are apparently still in business). According to him, they made all HR windscreens, but I’m not sure about that.

You're right not to believe it. HR windscreens were made by Bjerg until 1992. The Italian guy has a Mk1 312, which were made until 1986, so it would originally have had a Bjerg windscreen. Bjerg went out of business in about 1997 and were taken over by Ertec, who continued to supply windscreens to Hallberg-Rassy.

 

[andyc352]

You're right not to believe it. HR windscreens were made by Bjerg until 1992. The Italian guy has a Mk1 312, which were made until 1986, so it would originally have had a Bjerg windscreen. Bjerg went out of business in about 1997 and were taken over by Ertec, who continued to supply windscreens to Hallberg-Rassy.

Thanks for the additional info. I have a 1987 HR352 and my windscreen looks the same as the one in the video. It’s good to know I can still get parts from Ertec if required.

 

[pvb]

Thanks for the additional info. I have a 1987 HR352 and my windscreen looks the same as the one in the video. It’s good to know I can still get parts from Ertec if required.

I had a 1990 HR352 for 19 years, and loved every minute! I think you'll find your windscreen doesn't look exactly like the one in the video. The centre opening section of my screen had 90 degree corners - the one in the video has radiussed corners.

 

[Beneteau381]

Has anyone replaced the windscreen and/or the aluminium extrusions that holds the windscreen and if so can you provided and pointers and suppliers ? Thanks as I am contemplating the same on my Malo.

Would it be possible to modify/use bolt rope tracks like these? Trimtrack With Holes

 

[willowcarroll]

That is excellent work by you . ill try and get same done . We’re here in Dublin , boat in Zadar Croatia , so won’t be hands on . The maintenance agenda list keeps growing !

Fearmhuir,
The saga of windscreen maintenance continues and you perhaps rashly mentioned in an earlier post that you had some photos of the work you did on yours . Would it be possible please to post a few of the pictures you took ? I’m going to try and fix it myself having had no takers for doing what they rightly suspect to be a tricky time consuming job . Thank you .

 

[fearmhuir]

Fearmhuir,
The saga of windscreen maintenance continues and you perhaps rashly mentioned in an earlier post that you had some photos of the work you did on yours . Would it be possible please to post a few of the pictures you took ? I’m going to try and fix it myself having had no takers for doing what they rightly suspect to be a tricky time consuming job . Thank you .

I did take some photos when I was doing the job. Will take a look and see if I can find them at this stage and let you know. I am abroad until the end of August, so it will have to be after that I am afraid?

 

[willowcarroll]

I did take some photos when I was doing the job. Will take a look and see if I can find them at this stage and let you know. I am abroad until the end of August, so it will have to be after that I am afraid?

Perfect , thank you . We’re off to boat on the 1st September . Regards

 

[fearmhuir]

Perfect , thank you . We’re off to boat on the 1st September . Regards

Hi Willow, I had a look for those photos and found some on my phone, but high res ones I took with a camera are gone I am afraid.
I have however put together a piece on how I went about dismantling/assembling my screen, and have attached it here as a .pdf.
This is not a difficult job, but pretty dirty as it involves lots of black mastic which squeezes out everywhere!
Good Luck!