Capt. Mooron wrote:
I like the new version you've designed. It has better lines and looks
more rakish.


Hmm-mm. Is "rakish" good? To me it sounds like a lawn care product....


Wally wrote:
It came out better than I was expecting. I also removed the stanchions and
lifelines, so it looks cleaner in the doctored photo.

Yes but it would look better without those in any case. A better
comparison would be with (harder to draw in, I know)

I would think you would want to cut the opening to match ...


Not keen on that - I'd be concerned about weakening the structure. I think
there's a (hollow GRP?) beam on the inside, forward of the leading edge of
the existing windows - the mast is deck-stepped.

I'd be very afraid of weakening the structure... DON'T cut that beam...
in fact don't cut within 3 or 4 inches of it. The fiberglass flange
where it joins the coach roof molding is sure to be a structural
element. You can add fiberglass channels around the edge of the new port
opening for stiffness, but it'd be a major engineering job to design &
build a new mast step support.

The plus side of bigger windows is more light inside (the tint looks
cool, but don't overdo it). The downside is a weaker coach roof.

I'd put the acrylic on the outside, beveled, onto a mated surface around
the edge of the port, and use small screws only to hold it in place
while the 5200 dries.

The more time & work you put into the edges, both the seating to the new
port and the channel around the inside, the stronger & tighter it will
be. I've seen this kind of thing done well on a few boats... seen a
botched "quickie" job dozens of times (including on a boat we were
considering buying until we got a close look at this and many other
owner customized bits).

Hope this helps
Doug King