What sort of windows...

[Mark Beach]

Hello

 

Now that Reeves have started to build our new boat (yippeeee) we need to decide about windows. I wonder if anybody has any experience with the new style where the whole pane of glass can be removed?

 

Thanks

 

Mark

[jelunga]

Mark,

 

We saw Worcester Marine Windows at last years Crick and at the National. I was very impressed with the quality and versatility of them, with removable glass that can be replaced with solid metal panels for security, or a mesh for cooling during the summer and keeping out the insects etc. Looking at their web site, I cannot see reference to the mesh, so maybe I imagined it!

 

It also seems a very versatile range with lots of different designs etc, and the guys on the stand were very helpful and enthuseastic.

 

You can find them at Narrowboat Windows

 

Hello

 

Now that Reeves have started to build our new boat (yippeeee) we need to decide about windows. I wonder if anybody has any experience with the new style where the whole pane of glass can be removed?

 

Thanks

 

Mark

[Gary Peacock]

You can't lift the windows out like when you see them at shows because they hit the roof, instead you have to thread them out of the bottom which is a bit tricky.

 

The quick fixing is great but if you have a leaky window the only way to sort it out properly is by removing the liner from the interior which is a real pain.

 

On the plus side the lack of external fixing is very pleasing to the eye and they seem to have resolved their customer service issues of a couple of years or so back.

[NB Alnwick]

Hello

 

Now that Reeves have started to build our new boat (yippeeee) we need to decide about windows. I wonder if anybody has any experience with the new style where the whole pane of glass can be removed?

 

Thanks

 

Mark

 

In our experience, smallish fixed ports minimise condensation and heat loss in the Winter and help keep the interior cool in the Summer. They are also more secure and provide increased privacy. We also have several large fully opening steel hatches which can be left open in the Summer and/or fitted with a gauze fly screen or clear perspex.

[alan_fincher]

I thought I had seen some bad press about how easily those particular windows could be defeated, even with the steel insert option.

 

Damned if I can find it though, so...

 

1) It's possible it was different windows.

2) It's possible it was a design fault now resolved.

3) It's possible I imagined such a story, (but I don't think so).

 

Alan

[mrsmelly]

In our experience, smallish fixed ports minimise condensation and heat loss in the Winter and help keep the interior cool in the Summer. They are also more secure and provide increased privacy

 

 

Its completely true but even more importantly..Buses have windows Boats have Portholes or they should have...........

[Neil TNC]

Hello

 

Now that Reeves have started to build our new boat (yippeeee) we need to decide about windows. I wonder if anybody has any experience with the new style where the whole pane of glass can be removed?

 

Thanks

 

Mark

 

Graham Thomas at Riversdale (Ballinamore, Co Lietrim, ROI) uses Worcester windows in his barges and wide beam narrowboats.

Graham showed my the operation of the SX (you can tilt the top hopper, or the entire window, or take the lot out on really hot days - not as though you would ever need to do that in Ireland ;-) ones he now puts in his Wide Beam Narrowboats and I was very impressed. They also seem as well made as Channel Glaze. Graham initially used them, because he was sick of replacing glass in his hire boats.

[alan_fincher]

Buses have windows Boats have Portholes or they should have...........

But, with a few brave exceptions, portholes have never made it into the hire boat market, have they? There must be a reason.

 

If one of "Viking Afloat", "Black Prince" or "Alvechurch" suddenly started offering a brochure where all their hire-boats were portholed, do you really imagine that people would continue to chose them in the same numbers ? I strongly suspect not, as hiring holidaymakers undoubtedly see a good view out of large windows as part of the experience. (Although I must admit the fleets where the entire roof retracts back are a bit OTT!).

 

I don't wish to start the porthole vs window debate again, but we have a single porthole in the area in the middle of out boat that I am currently refitting, and if I could easily replace it with a window matching the rest of the boat, I would. The area is horribly dark, unless you open a side hatch.

 

Alan

[NB Alnwick]

I don't wish to start the porthole vs window debate again, but we have a single porthole in the area in the middle of out boat that I am currently refitting, and if I could easily replace it with a window matching the rest of the boat, I would. The area is horribly dark, unless you open a side hatch.

 

We find that the use of ports makes very little difference to the lighting levels inside the boat between dusk and dawn - at other times it is usually nicer to be outside or have the hatches open.

[stickleback]

You can't lift the windows out like when you see them at shows because they hit the roof, instead you have to thread them out of the bottom which is a bit tricky.

 

The quick fixing is great but if you have a leaky window the only way to sort it out properly is by removing the liner from the interior which is a real pain.

 

On the plus side the lack of external fixing is very pleasing to the eye and they seem to have resolved their customer service issues of a couple of years or so back.

 

Actually, they come out perfectly easily - I have them on my boat, and they just lift out. Don't know how secure they are - I always feel they are a bit of a risk, but I haven't yet bought / tried the metal inserts. What I DO want are the mesh inserts so I can have insect free ventilation!

 

Stickleback

[canalchris]

Hello

 

Now that Reeves have started to build our new boat (yippeeee) we need to decide about windows. I wonder if anybody has any experience with the new style where the whole pane of glass can be removed?

 

Thanks

 

Mark

 

We put new windows ,our boat last october, the old ones were anodised mock brass with hopper tops ,apart from looking decidedly tired the ventilation in summer was not very good. we had a shop around and decided on black powder coated hopper tops with half slide bottoms with invisble fixings( really only a rubber strip over the screws, but looks good),