Pilot House Windows

[gaff cutter]

In the "stupid question" category- why do trawlers and other ships have pilot house windows that cantelever out (i.e., opposite of the aerodynamic windshields on cars and planes?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOejtcuMkf8&feature=related

[Oyvind Snibsoer]

Because you get less rain on the window when conditions are a little less extreme.

Cool video, BTW :)

[clancy]

You also get less glare.

[mmd]

The down side of "trawler" windows is that if you take a "big, mean greenie" wave into the front of the wheelhouse it will concentrate the wave's force on the bottom lip of the window, increasing the possibility that it will be smashed in. Most trawlers have the wheelhouse far enough above the water's surface that this is a rarity, but yachts - especially motorsailers - are low enough that this does become a real concern. In a conventional window configuration the force of the wave is deflected up and over the window, lessening the impact. Of course, this is only a concern to those who go offshore far enough to risk being in seas big enough to board the vessel and smash into the wheelhouse.

The other reason against them, to quote a grizzled ol' salt I know, is that, "...if ya tilts the winders th' wrong way, th' rain can't help ya warsh the salt offa them!"

[crawdaddyjim50]

Not a big fan of the extreme forward rake. But vertical or just slightly tilted forward is good. No back rake lets in too much sun. And no square pilot houses! Must have a radius. Otherwise it aint boaty.

[Ian McColgin]

clancy is essentially right - not really glare as the reflection of instrument and panel lights.

Even before the total explosion of modern electronics there were little dots of red, green, amber and whatnot from switches, radios, and such, and the bigger lights over the compass, radar, depthsounder. All of these end up reflected in the pilot house windows if they are verticle or sloped in. At night the watch has only lights to look for and the distraction of lights from bridge instruments is a huge distraction.

Trawlers really depend on eyesight at night, nature of the work, so it became a bit of a fad. Some other working boats - certain tugs and pilot boats and such - also go that way. On the tugs I worked with the verticle windows we had all instruments located and often hooded to prevent any reflection. Yachts don't seem to care except as a fashion statement.

The slant does nothing to keep rain or spray from hitting the window.