[the original version of this post has lots of pictures, which illustrate the points made below. Go to www.svoctopussy.com to read the full article]

We have lexan windows in the catamaran, and when we got her, looking out the windows was like looking out through rock candy.

Kind of hard to enjoy the view of a tropical paradise- that's for sure!

Well, we scoured the Cruisers Forum, looking for anything we could find about how to clean the saltwater pitting off of these windows. As 007 used to race cars, we actually still had a few products kicking around from "the good old days" that were used to clean track grime off of his lexan windshields.

So here are a few things we tried:

1. The first was simply, Invisible Glass. 007 used it all the time for the windshield of his car, and it could eat through anything. Anything except the crap embedded in our catamaran windows.

2. Then we tried a few other polishing compounds we had lying around, used for a similar racing purposes. No dice.

3. Then, I tried ceramic cooktop cleaner. I though maybe a mild abrasive would do the trick. I did make some noticeable progress, but the "elbow grease" and time necessary were too much in relation to the results I was getting.



We went back to the internet. The windows were so bad that we were coming to the conclusion that we might have to just replace them. We've got a lot to do (and lots of $$$ to already shell out on more important items) right now. So, we kept searching for a creative solution.

007 decided to go back to his original automotive roots, scouring racing forums and other websites for a solution. Well, we decided to experiment with a 3M Headlight Restoration Kit... just for shits and grins. It sure as hell could not make the windows any worse.

We only used it on a small section of the window, in case it was a total disaster. Well, it did a really great job. As a result, we went online to Amazon and ordered the sanding discs and rubbing compound included in this package in bulk, and went to work.

It's far from completed yet, since we put this project aside to work on our "D-Day list." (52 days and counting!)

And, with our military-ingrained "Zero-Defect Mentality," we have been looking through the windows and saying, "I see a scratch from the 800 grit in this spot still!" ... and keep working at it.

Well, we are quickly getting over the quest for the 110% solution, and have settled on the 80% solution. And, we believe we have achieved that.

Here is a list of what we are using, and how we're doing it:

1. On a cordless drill, start with 500 grit sanding discs. Sand the surface until you have a uniform haziness over the surface.

2. After you get that far, then you do the same exact thing, this time with 800 grit sanding discs. It will not look too much different, but you will notice that the texture gets hazier, and more indiscriminate (even fewer patterns or track marks from the drill and sanding discs). Make sure that the texture is "smaller;" i.e. it is a finer pattern than the 500 grit. And, make sure it is uniform.

One word of advice: if the sanding disc is getting clogged and is due to be changed, it will start leaving deeper, white pit marks on the edge of the disc. These are bad, and you want to minimize them as much as possible. If you start seeing them, change out your sanding disc and go over them until they go away. We found that lightly dusting off the disc often with a dry rag worked well.

3. After you're happy with the results, you'll jump up to 3000 grit sanding discs. They're really fine, and you wonder if they can do much at all. You need to wet-sand with the 3000, so you'll need a good misting spray bottle. Thankfully Dr. No had a spare "reptile mister" (Seriously. Like I've said before, "can't make this stuff up!"), so we used that.

After you've sanded over you windows in steps 1 and 2 you are really hoping that the window starts to look better versus worse!


4. After you can sufficiently see out of the window, as above, you then move on to using 3M Rubbing Compound with a foam disc.

5. The final step, which we have yet to accomplish, will be a finishing coat with 3M Performance Finish. This product will help keep salt, debris, etc. from building up on the windows. It's the same as a car wax; it will help water bead up and run off. After sanding out salt water runoff marks that were embedded into the windows, I am happy to have something to protect the surface!

I will finish with a disclaimer:

This may not be the optimal solution for your windows, or your situation. There are some "warnings" about using radial sanding discs on large lexan windows. Basically, the finish might be slightly "wavy" if you look closely. We chose this route because our cabin windows are small, in comparison to a Leopard or Lagoon. Also, by the time we get headliner, teak window trim, curtains, and an exterior UV cover for the windows... no one is really going to notice if there is any "wavy" effect to the windows.

So far, we have not noticed any waviness, so we are not concerned. But we are also not totally finished yet. I will post more, once we get farther along on this project. But so far we are quite happy with the results. And, we may actually have a 92% solution!