Boat & Yacht Pleated Blind

Salty Air and Formed-Glass Conditions on the Boat and Yacht

The marine environment tires the metal part many times faster than the standard condition. Salty air oxidises the aluminium surface, an ordinary spring and screw rusts. In boat use the rail and connection elements need to have marine-class coating and the moving parts need to be chosen from corrosion-resistant material. This is the basic point where the boat blind separates from the residential blind.

Portholes and cabin windows are mostly not rectangular. They are sloped, trapezoid or curved forms. The pleated fabric is cut to the form. The rail plane sits on the glass’s slope. Since the side rails keep the fabric tensioned in every position, no sagging occurs even when the boat heels.

In cabin-interior use the day-night model is a practical solution. While moored at the port the sheer layer gives privacy and passes light; during travel and at night the blackout layer provides the cabin darkness. Locking the unit in the closed position prevents opening at travel shaking.

The cabin’s low ceiling and sloped wall line chooses the mounting plane. The unit generally sits on the glass frame and is not passed over the deck-beam line. On overhead portholes a horizontal rail mechanism is made. The fabric works tensioned on the horizontal plane too.

The sun’s water reflection raises the boat’s interior temperature differently than on land. On the open sea the glass surface constantly takes radiation. The sunscreen-class fabric holds this load at the glass line and reduces the cabin’s ventilation load. On boats with limited air-conditioning capacity it produces a measurable difference.

The cabin’s curved interior geometry affects the mounting. The unit rail’s plane sits parallel to the glass slope, the curve at the deck-wall junction does not cut the unit line. The measurement is taken on-site in every cabin. A difference between the measurement in the boat plan and the real cabin is usual.

A boat moored at the port produces a privacy issue with its marina neighbours. On the cabins at the pier line the eye level is closed with the band. On the above-deck glass full closure is the night routine. When the boat’s docking direction changes, the pier-side and sea-side distinction reverses. The unit positions are readjusted in one pass and before travel all are taken to the locked position.

The salty-water environment decides the hardware selection. Stainless connection and a rail coating resistant to sea water are the marine unit’s standard. The surface life of the unit rinsed with fresh water extends. This process joins the marina maintenance routine.

In the boat’s energy limited by its generator and battery order, the blind does passive climate control. The sunscreen fabric cuts the cabin heating and the air-conditioning run time shortens. On boats with a narrow energy budget this difference reflects on the battery life.

On the porthole at the cabin bed line, the moonlight and the marina light interrupt sleep at night. The blackout unit closes this light line. The sun reflecting off the water in the morning is softened with the half position.