Anybody replaced a windshield lately?

LaRea

This is what greeted me when I got to the boat this morning - a shattered windshield.  I can't find a single shred of evidence suggesting how it happened.  Nothing inside or outside of the boat.  No evidence of foul play, no random sticks or objects nearby, no lawn mowers flinging gravel ... nothing.  It's a complete mystery to me, the yard and the police.  

GLS has a complete windshield for a 2007 330/340/360, so I'm guessing it'll fit my 370 ($3000 delivered).  But I'll see what Malary at Rinker says on Monday morning.  

https://www.greatlakesskipper.com/carver-530-trend-marine-polished-stainless-steel-glass-101-inch-boat-windshield-1-piece-152096

Assuming I find parts, I'll need an installer too.  Anybody have recent experience with a job like this?  What should I look for and/or avoid?  

LaRea

Curved safety glass with the same tint as the other sections?  Not likely.  And the picture on GLS looks slightly different from mine, so I don't have high hopes.  If I have to get Taylor Made to build one, who knows how long that will take.  

Needless to say, that kinda ruined my day.  

Cableguy Greg

Peal back the screw cover rubber and get the serial number off of the windshield. Use that number and call TaylorMade. They might be able to help out.

raybo3

@LaRea that totally sucks. Good luck getting that replaced.

Glassguy54

To get a one off piece like that made - stainless steel mold so no dimples in the glass (it has to be heated to the softening point and any imperfections in the mold will be evident in the finished piece), plus it has to be tempered as opposed to simply annealed, I'd guess more than $10,000.00. I do a lot of glass bending for antique stained glass lamp repairs and I can tell you that windshields are way more technical than any thing I deal with. Automotive glass is not that big a deal, and is a huge industry, so economies of scale bring the costs to a reasonable amount, and insurance usually picks up the cost, but a boat is a whole different beast. It sucks that your windshield got shattered, but $3,000.00 is probably a reasonable price for a replacement. You may want to check with your insurance provider for some relief. Best of luck. keep us updated as I'm sure this will be of great interest.

reneechris14

Dude that sucks @LaRea. I think @Cableguy Greg has the right idea the glass has numders. Good luck on the repair.

trip_n

@LaRea  = feeling sorry for your bad luck

Ian

Totally sucks @LaRea sorry to see. I looks like someone walked by and whacked it with a 4x2.

LaRea

Thanks you guys.  For now, it's covered with plastic sheeting and duct tape after I spent a couple hours vacuuming glass.  I'll poke around today to see if I can find a serial number, and I'm hoping Malary will be able to point me in the right direction.  

Willhound

Well that sucks. (Obviously). Good luck @LaRea.

Cableguy Greg

LaRea said:

Thanks you guys.  For now, it's covered with plastic sheeting and duct tape after I spent a couple hours vacuuming glass.  I'll poke around today to see if I can find a serial number, and I'm hoping Malary will be able to point me in the right direction.  

The serial number will be along the side windows under the screw cover. There should be one on each side of the windshield. I had to use it to order my screw cover from TaylorMade.

cettialpha6

Try this site, I've had good luck with it , my boat is a 2008

http://www.taylormadesystems.com/windshield-repair/

Handymans342

Wow sorry to see that @LaRea what a PITA!!

Handymans342

May have just been a thermal break or a BB gun. Will insurance cover it??

Glassguy54

Maybe its possible to just replace the one broken lite instead of the entire windshield? Would certainly be way less expensive. Check with Taylormade.

LaRea

Yeah, I'll get on the phone with Rinker and Taylormade first thing tomorrow.  It would be great if I can buy just the broken section and replace it myself.  I don't want to deal with an insurance claim if I don't have to.  

I don't think it could be thermal.  I was there Monday, and it didn't get cold this week.  I spent a good 30 minutes today scouring the inside of the boat looking for a BB, rock or other projectile, and looking around outside for anything even slightly out-of-place.  Found nothing ... the mystery remains.  

aero3113

Sorry to see that this happed @LaRea . Possibly a freak bird strike and a stray cat picked up the evidence?

LaRea

Gotta be something bizarre like that.  I've ruled out the possibility that somebody was on the boat with evil intent.  They would have taken the $650 worth of bottom paint, a few thou worth of tools and electronics, and some really fine single-malt Scotch.  

Handymans342

Maybe he didnt drink???

Dream_Inn

Oh man, I just got back to the forum and saw this!  Uggghh!!  Sorry to hear, but maybe things will work out quickly tomorrow after calling Taylor.

Liberty44140

LR that is a major bummer. Years ago the side window in an old van we had just spontaneously shattered on a sunny day. no wind, nothing hit it, no vandals, just went. Hope you have some good luck today on a replacement. 

Dude_Himself

It's DIY-able - I've done it on a similar-sized piece with 2 helpers. I had lots of padding/shipping blankets available to prevent any fiberglass/tempered glass damage.

Handymans342

You should have an answer from Taylor by now

LaRea

As you might imagine, this time of year is insanely busy at Rinker (and all boat builders).  They are working with Taylormade to get a price and delivery time.  I should know by Monday.  

bella-vita

Somewhat good news.

Dream_Inn

Monday can't come soon enough!

onislandtime

@LaRea if I could use my experence with crime scene investigations for a moment. Very rare and I mean very rare temptered glass shatters on its own. (its maunufactured 4 times stronger than regular glass). Usally when tempered glass shatters, it stays intact until something distrubs it (Safety reason). On most occasions a projectile that penetrates the glass, the projectile would leave a hole and most of the glass left together. The smaller the projectile the more glass left intact. Obviouly you would have seen evidence of a projectile inside the cockpit. Based on two photographs, here comes the CSI stuff. Most of the debris is concentrated at the winshield and you have some debris thrown into the cockpit far from the windshield. I would suspect the debris field inside the cockpit was debris that slid off the salon hatch/door and the same on the seat falling from the top of the windshield which overhangs closely to the seat. Conculsion, lack of projectile or anyother evidence (hair, feathers etc) I would rule out something struck the windshield. A rare failure of the glass or a shift in the window frame causing the glass to shatter for unknown reasons. Okay I had extra time on my hands to write this lol. 

Handymans342

You are watching too much TV .

Glassguy54

Yes, tempered glass has very high impact resistance head on, but edges are very vulnerable. You can pound on the surface of tempered with a heavy object (e.g. hammer) and it may take many blows before it shatters. On the other hand, if you tap it lightly on the edge, it will shatter easily. If the glass was a real tight fit in the frame and there was some expansion/contraction  or racking/twisting of the metal, it might have  put enough stress on the edge to break the glass. Purely conjecture.

LaRea

Counselors, your evidence is hard to dispute.  But with all the extreme temperatures over the past year (both hot and cold), the damage happened during a 4-day period of moderate temperatures (low 35°F, high 60°F).  And the rubber gasket is thick with what seems like plenty of room for movement.  

If it was a projectile that bounced off and didn't enter the boat, there are only a few angles possible.  For example, it couldn't have come from straight ahead, or it would have hit the canvas and left a mark, and so forth.  I doubt I'll ever get an answer.   

Handymans342

How close is it to the GW Parkway?