06 Dec Maintaining Your Investment: Protecting the Glass on Your Yacht
Between saltwater, limescale, hard water, and more, you’d be surprised what kind of a beating your yacht takes. These corrosive elements that are constantly attacking your yacht can leave behind stains and streaks that are impossible to remove. Worse, corroded windows could let in water during a storm and humidity, damaging your interior and maybe leading to mold. Foggy windows could even be a navigational hazard. Your yacht is the culmination of all of your hard work, so don’t let dirty and streaked windows ruin its prestige.
Preventing problems is easier and more cost effective than fixing them. When it comes to protecting the glass on your yacht, follow these tips.
1. Proper Storage
Your yacht may look pristine at the marina, but if you want to protect your yacht and ensure it has a long life, you should consider storing your yacht away from corrosive saltwater and sea air. This may mean having your yacht towed to a different part of town during the off season, or opting for a marina that offers indoor yacht storage. Because oceanfront docks are so coveted, storing your yacht away from the harmful sea air might actually save you money. This will also save you the time it takes to relocate your boat during hurricane season. Having a winter cover installed is another option, as an inexpensive, yet effective way to prevent water damage.
2. Window Kit
One of the best things you can do to protect your glass is to have it coated with a sealant that will protect it from saltwater and storms. Venco Clear X is a preferred window treatment line that includes a glass protector as well as a stain remover. These dual elements help to prevent damage and treat it quickly if it happens. These products by Venco Marine are often used as cruise ship window treatment, so they’ve been tried and tested by the best in the business. Your windows should be treated about twice a year.
3. Window Restoration
If your windows have sustained damage, the good news is you don’t necessarily need to replace. A seasoned yacht window restoration specialist can resurface your windows, even if they are relatively thin. This method saves you time and money, making it a much more reasonable decision than glass replacement. The key with window restoration is to not let the condition of your windows degrade. If you ignore the problem for too long, by the time you call a specialist you might already need a costly replacement.
4. Proper Cleaning
You probably know that as saltwater evaporates off of glass, it leaves behind minerals which turn into streaks and stains. The same actually happens with freshwater, so when you yacht is being washed, you should make sure that the hose is outfitted with a hard water filter to prevent mineral build up. Having your windows hand dried and coated with water repellent also helps to prevent this problem.
5. Daily Cleaning
To remove corrosive salt and minerals from the ocean, you should make sure your windows are cleaned daily with a glass safe cleaner. If your yacht has tinted windows, a specially designed product should be used.
6. Prepare for a Storm
Saltwater isn’t the only thing that can ruin your windows. During hurricane season or a heavy storm, furniture that isn’t anchored can blow away and damage your windows.
7. The Vinegar Treatment
Household vinegar is one of your best weapons on a yacht. The salt deposits that build up and stain windows can be broken down by vinegar. Spraying your windows each day with water mixed with vinegar will break down deposits you can’t even see, making this easy hack a major time and money saver.
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