Second Replacement of Deckhouse Portlights on 2016 Bavaria Cruiser 46

[Nepenthe]

Hello everyone — I'm reaching out to tap into your experience with Bavaria portlights, especially for deckhouse / cabin windows.

Details / Situation:

I own a 2016 Bavaria Cruiser 46 (3‑cabin, 3‑head layout).

All 4 of the portlights (2 per side, in the deckhouse/superstructure area) were previously replaced once using OEM-style portlights supplied by Bavaria.

Now, the starboard forward head's deckhouse portlight has developed a full-thickness vertical crack, in the fixed panel portion (with integrated opening hatch).

Bavaria / SVB / their dealers have informed me they no longer manufacture these portlights in the original configuration.

I'm exploring a retrofit using bonded UV-coated polycarbonate, to better manage the differential expansion between materials and reduce future failures.

The cracked window is fairly large: ≈ 11 ft × 1.5 ft, and there's a smaller companion (≈ 3 ft × 1.5 ft).

Because of concerns about mis‑matching color, clarity, and curvature, I'm thinking of having all 4 fabricated at once (even if installation is staged).

Questions for the community:

Has anyone done a second-generation replacement of deckhouse portlights when OEM parts were no longer available?

Has anyone switched from acrylic to bonded polycarbonate for deckhouse windows on a Bavaria (or similar yacht)? What were the pros/cons?

Did you have those windows 3D scanned in situ (on the boat) to capture curvature and layout, or did you remove existing windows to template them?

How did you match tint, thickness, clarity across new and existing windows (if you kept any originals)?

Any fabricators, vendors, or shops (especially on the U.S. East Coast / Mid‑Atlantic) you'd recommend for large deckhouse portlight fabrication or retrofit work?

I'd really appreciate any photos, contacts, or personal stories of how you resolved similar challenges.

Thanks in advance!
— Doug
Bavaria Cruiser 46 | Rock Hall, MD

[jeffatoms2]

Hey Doug,

We have the same prolem wuth 100% of our portlights and windows (1998 38 Ocean).  If you are a DIY person and happen to have an iPhone Pro version 15 or later, I've had good success using a 3D scanner app and the LIDAR feature from the phone to get your scan.  Your could have it cut in 2D acrylic and then heat form it to the 3D curve.   Keep the original window to use as your mold template!

If you get the LIDAR capture, I'd be happy to "flatten" the file and cut it in 1/8 material (scrap, foam, plywood, cardboard) to prototype it for you.  The catch is i can only go up to 10 feet six inches and a rigid panel might be expensive to ship to get your test fit.  Other material can be rolled and shipped in a concrete Sano tube.