Anti-glare mats for helm

LaRea

In some sun conditions, my helm has a lot of glare on the inside of the windshield because of the white gelcoat forward of the helm.  So I cut two small, custom-fitted carpets that do a great job of cutting down the glare.

I typically use them only on long cruises where eye strain is more of an issue.  I can put them up in about 30 seconds, and they make a huge difference.  When I'm not using them, I roll them up and stash them under the helm seat.  

The material is just a cheap Walmart area rug (around $20).  It's a navy blue Berber with a thick, relatively stiff rubber non-slip backing to keep it from blowing around.  Obviously, the darker, the better.

I think the original rug was 2'x4'.  First, I cut it in half lengthwise.  Then, with the bound edges facing towards the stern, I trimmed each piece to match the curvature of the windshield.  I also made cutouts for the windshield supports.  Then, along all of the cut edges, I used a torch to slightly melt the edges so the fibers won't unravel.  I've been using them for a couple years, and they are holding up well.  

To cut the curved edges, I used short pieces of electrical tape to mark the contour, and then cut it with scissors.  

A 1-piece design would probably work just as well, and would avoid having a seam at the windshield walk-through.  On the other hand, the 2-piece design might be a little easier to set up and take down.  

Michael T

Very nice. My Admiral has made several over the years of black canvass. Flat black is the best non-glare color (as I'm sure everyone knows) it sure made a difference as the white gel coat of the under the windshield fiberglass really reflects onto the windshield.

Dream_Inn

Very nice!  Like the before/after pictures!