Refit blog, week 120: Gluing the cabin window: Now our Dehlya is tight again

What we have learnt in the now two and a half years of our refit is, in addition to many technical things, the unfortunately sometimes painful realisation that there are several levels of "finished".

Our pod drive from Torqeedo for example, from the Marina Vulkan shipyard masterfully installed back in 2017 and actually long since "finished" and ready to run, needed three more attempts before the beginning of March to be truly complete. First, we had installed the two fast chargers for the lithium batteries on the wrong side and not sufficiently ventilated, then the display had to be redone because Torqeedo had changed the series. But now - finally - everything fits.

Deck fittings were also an issue with a repeat loop. They were already in place at boot Düsseldorf, but all had to come off again because of the deck paintwork and then at Jade Yachting immediately - this time with sealant and hopefully forever.

And then the windows...! The old ones were so damaged by wear and tear and UV light that they had to be replaced in any case. Since we were already in the process of doing this, we decided very early on to change the shape as well. Marc-Oliver von Ahlen, our accompanying designer, drew several variants, including the one we have now chosen, which is similar to the lines of the current Dehler models: longer and more dynamic than before, they now stretch the superstructure and also let more light into the boat.

This required a few extra shifts, which master boat builder Sven Walther from M.and H. von der Linden together with a colleague. Using a CAD template, they sawed the new cut-outs into the laminate and placed an adhesive flange against it from the inside, which looks so beautifully integrated, as if it was always meant to look like this, because it skilfully takes up the curves of the inner shell.

Anno Rodenkirchen from our partner MarinAcrylic then cut the discs to fit perfectly, including a slight curvature; he too was a master of his trade. They had been sitting in their original recess for a good year and a half. Again, you could have thought: "Done!" However, they were only fixed in place with double-sided adhesive tape, not firmly glued and grouted. This was only supposed to be done after the deck had been painted - just like with a new build.

Which is why the Dehlya rolled into the hall at von der Linden in Wesel on Thursday evening and underwent its final window operation on Friday with surgical precision. No, that's not an exaggeration (at least not by much)! It really was like a clean room. The Plexiglas panes and the internal adhesive flanges, which enable flush mounting, first had to be cleaned of all grease, adhesive residue from the tapes and dust, then sanded, cleaned again and then primed.

Only then was Sabateck 760 used. This is a high-strength, polymer-based special adhesive and sealant that still retains a certain elasticity in order to compensate for stresses - for example due to torsion in the cabin structure. Anno Rodenkirchen had previously made spacers from hardened adhesive to ensure that the compound was not pressed out too far when inserting the discs - and of course meticulously taped everything around the flanges.

On Friday afternoon, the discs then sat as they should - for the first time without protective film, without gaps, with this deep black adhesive edge on the fresh, white topcoat. Honestly, it was another moment to kneel down! All the considerations, discussions, doubts, all the waiting: forgotten!!! It just looks great. It just has to cure over the weekend.

And we are now adding another big, fat tick to our project list. Cabin window? So much of a fix and ready!!!!

Next week, they will be travelling to Lake Constance. In Radolfzell, Daniel Hadamovsky and his team from the Bootskontor with the PermaTeek mouldings to cover the running decks and the cockpit. This will also be another visual feast. And then it's off to Singen to NautiSattler where the Dehlya gets a customised sprayhood complete with cake stand. So stay tuned!