Islander 30 Window replacement

[zachduckworth]

Hi everyone,

I'm in the process of purchasing an Islander Bahama 30. It's a great boat, very well taken care of. The interior is very nice. One issue is that the four large, aft portholes have crazing and UV fading. Not a big deal; I'm going to replace them with external plexiglass windows as one of the first projects I do. That will be easy. However, I am not so sure what I'm going to do with the internal window frames. I'm debating trying to frame them in brass or teak, or maybe just spray painting them to reinvigorate them (the latter would be a stop gap before I come up with a better plan).

The two big rear windows have one somewhat annoying feature; they are not square, but slightly trapezoidal. This isn't a big deal for the exterior windows, but it presents some problems with framing them out. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a way to make the interior frames look sharp. (Picture is not my boat)
Thanks!

[Rumrace]

I’ve seen a shutter frame added to that window style. An upper and lower track and a rolling blind on either end. Some I’ve seen with exterior eyebrows to reduce the UV.
I’d restore the window with a modern laminate poly. I’d avoid large brass objects that high. Wood or poly trim. You can buy a laminate roller blind and cut them to size. They work on recessed windows.
Congrats on the new boat.

[zachduckworth]

Thanks! It's been an exciting time, for sure.

The shutters are an option I'll have to look into. I guess the idea is that they would be on tracks along the top and bottom of the window and would slide open. And if you make the area where the shutters stack when the window is open would always be covered, so you wouldn't be able to see that portion. Interesting idea.

Not that I'm thinking of it, the window is at an angle, so something heavy like a brass fitting might not work. Is that what you meant? Another option, how that I think of it, is a white plexiglass bevel that I could have cut by the same people who are going to cut the outside window. I don't want it to clash too much with the interior though...

[Rumrace]

It’s just a habit to keep as much weight low as possible. Power or sail. What material are the window frames. Many are cast aluminum or rolled aluminum frame. Brass will eat the aluminum. And add unnecessary weight high.
I use some very sophisticated plastics in 3D printing would be stronger and lightweight.
The company which many US boats used for sliding blinds is in Ohio. They made blinds for SeaRay Catalina and Tiara to name a few. The window treatment in Hinckely Yachts

[zachduckworth]

They're plastic currently. I would be fine with aluminum, but the issue is that they're an unusual shape, so the replacement would have to be custom made. Teak would be cool, but I would want it to look nice, not like some C- shop class project (which is about what I could do...). I found a bronze caster but I don't know if he'll take the project or not or if he'll charge something exorbitant. Maybe someone could stamp them from aluminum? There's also the issue of filling in the inner wall area between the cabin and the new exterior-mounted window. The two most basic ideas are to either have the guy making my smoked portlights also cut out a ring-frame in white plexi and put that up. But I feel like that would clash with the natural look of the wood. The other option is to spray paint the fixture that's already there and pop it back up. But what color? I was thinking bronze metallic. But that might look chintzy.
Fortunately the four forward windows are standard sized and I can just throw money at the new windows, no thought required.