Replacing old opening ports

[SuW]

We want to replace some old Bomar-Gray extruded plastic opening portlights on our Bayfield 32 and we could use some advice on replacements. Our existing ports are the largest, rectangular version of these portlights, the 724AD:
Gray Series Molded Portlight - Pompanette, LLC

They are about 27"x10". The acrylic is crazed and we suspect that they leak between the inner liner and the hull. The other problem is that they have a sharp spigot on the outside which cuts ankles very effectively when going forward on our boat.

Other than replacing them with more of the same (which we do not want to do) it looks like replacing them will require some glass fibre work to reduce the cut-out hole for a new set of portlights.

Has anyone got a recommendation for replacement portlights of a similar size? This would be for Gt.Lakes cruising and coastal cruising - no ocean passages are anticipated. For ocean passages I would want much smaller portlights than these.

Lewmar, Bomar and Vetus (+ others?) have something that looks like it could made to fit.

Right now we are leaning towards the Vetus PZ631 portlights, but we do not have an opportunity to see them before we buying them.

Thanks for any insights,

Sue & Don

[skipmac]

Not the cheapest but New Found Metals makes great opening ports in SS and bronze, round, oval, rectangular in a variety of sizes. Very heavy duty. Should be easy to find one very close the size of your old ports.

[coopec43]

Maybe you could check to see what is available and see if any style suits your taste and then see if you can get the right size?

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=2...w=1280&bih=581

Clive

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by SuW

We want to replace some old Bomar-Gray extruded plastic opening portlights on our Bayfield 32 and we could use some advice on replacements. Our existing ports are the largest, rectangular version of these portlights, the 724AD:
Gray Series Molded Portlight - Pompanette, LLC

They are about 27"x10". The acrylic is crazed and we suspect that they leak between the inner liner and the hull. The other problem is that they have a sharp spigot on the outside which cuts ankles very effectively when going forward on our boat.

Other than replacing them with more of the same (which we do not want to do) it looks like replacing them will require some glass fibre work to reduce the cut-out hole for a new set of portlights.

Has anyone got a recommendation for replacement portlights of a similar size? This would be for Gt.Lakes cruising and coastal cruising - no ocean passages are anticipated. For ocean passages I would want much smaller portlights than these.

Lewmar, Bomar and Vetus (+ others?) have something that looks like it could made to fit.

Right now we are leaning towards the Vetus PZ631 portlights, but we do not have an opportunity to see them before we buying them.

Thanks for any insights,

Sue & Don

The original ports on the bayfield were made by Atkins and Hoyle and should last the life of the boat. You can get replacements here:

https://www.atkinshoyle.com/products...num-Ports.html

If you have bomar plastic ports and they are that large, sounds like someone at some point "Edited" your port arrangment.

[SuW]

Originally Posted by pcmm

The original ports on the bayfield were made by Atkins and Hoyle and should last the life of the boat. You can get replacements here: https://www.atkinshoyle.com/products...num-Ports.html
If you have bomar plastic ports and they are that large, sounds like someone at some point "Edited" your port arrangment.

Yes, indeed. We bought the boat 10 years ago cheaply as it was in a terrible state. Too many nasty details to go into here.

It did, however have a nice Yanmar engine with <200hrs, brand new sails and a mast/boom that didn't match (and weren't the originals). Also fancy bronze dorade vents.

We are fairly sure she was a hurricane boat. However, having since replaced or seriously renovated literally everything apart from engine, sails, spars, and the aft 4 opening ports, we are looking for ideas, I suppose. We don't want to spend $4K on the ports, but we are prepared to do the glass work to reduce the openings a bit to fit some of the standard sizes of somewhat cheaper ports.

We've done this kind of thing in other areas (forward ports, forward hatch, sole hatches, changing the companionway step water trap). And yes, we are kind of irrational!

[SuW]

Originally Posted by coopec43

Maybe you could check to see what is available and see if any style suits your taste and then see if you can get the right size?

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=2...w=1280&bih=581

Clive

Sure, Clive. We've found suitable candidates by Lewmar, Bomar and Vetus, as I said in my original post. Atkins and Hoyle of that size are too expensive, nice though they are.

I was hoping for a comment from someone with experience with reducing the size of port cutouts.

[SuW]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Not the cheapest but New Found Metals makes great opening ports in SS and bronze, round, oval, rectangular in a variety of sizes. Very heavy duty. Should be easy to find one very close the size of your old ports.

Yes, we like the New Found Metals opening ports, we replaced the two small forward ports with their Tri-Matrix ports. They look great and I am satisfied with them.

They don't make this line in the large size we need for the other ports. Their other lines are too expensive for us.

Some minor comments about the Tri-Matrix,
1) The so-called drilling template that the company loaned to us was fairly useless. Either we're stupid or it had been made incorrectly. We ended up making our own (we aren't stupid, btw).
2) We ordered the ports with heavy glass. The ports essentially have a droop - the hinge springs cannot support the load of the glass properly. If there were stronger springs we would bang our heads a bit less...glass was overkill, btw.
3) The insect screens are difficult to put in. They are a metal screen supported by a rubber flange that has to be stretched carefully over the port spigot. You can't do it in a hurry. Very inconvenient in a storm, for example, because they do get knocked in sometimes.
4) If you want to close the ports with the insect screen out, you need to adjust the hinges to make it watertight. Not trivial. I ended up making a pull-over screen for the port from which we frequently take out the insect screen.

[Scout 30]

Since your ports won't match anyway you could forgo the opening ports & cut lexan to fit. Done right it would be stronger than what you've got.

[SuW]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

Since your ports won't match anyway you could forgo the opening ports & cut lexan to fit. Done right it would be stronger than what you've got.

It's a thought. Certainly the cheapest and easiest option. It could be made very attractive, I've seen some nice installations.

With the summer we've had here on the lower Great Lakes (extremely hot), I'm not sure that it will really be the right solution, though. I might get a mutiny!

[fishsail18]

SuW is right on the money, we replaced 15 portholes with NFM they are great however the screens are hard to install by yourself
and if you keep them closed for any length of time, when you open the window the screen pulls out with it and then your screwed if you need to close the windows in a hurry, it takes forever to reinstall the screen and it takes the same time to readjust the window to make it close water tight. Maybe some Vasoline on the rubber will keep it from sticking

[clockwork orange]

I replaced all the ports on a 42ft Brewer design with the ss new found metals ports, they are very nice but I personally would not use them on my own boat just because of the weight. It would be nice if they would cast them out of aluminum and anodize them. I just don't see any advantage to using stainless and the weight penalty is just too great imho.


Steve.

[Lepke]

Freeman makes custom doors, ports and windows besides their standard sizes. It might be cheaper to buy custom ports that fit the hole and not have to do fiberglass work. Their products come in different durability options and used on many commercial boats and ships. I used them on tugs. Many fishermen use them. Most can have screens.
https://www.freemanmarine.com/

[Suijin]

I replaced my port lights with NFM stainless. Their templates are worthless and in fact make the job harder: you assume they are correct (since you paid a $50 deposit on it and need to send it back when you’re done) only to find out the holes you drilled don’t line up with the frames’ holes.

And the longevity of the hinge mechanism is suspect due to its design. And trying to get spare parts to the hinges...good luck. They act like you’re the first person to request them.

Talk to the owner about any of this and he’ll get dismissive. Not my favorite company.