New Found Metal port windows failing

[swdreams88]

Any one else having issues with NFM port windows failing, where the interior latch falls off due to the machine screw corrosion? This machine screw is on the interior wall.

[Sailmonkey]

Are you describing the screw that goes through the dogs?

How badly corroded are yours to allow this to happen?

[steve77]

I installed fourteen of these ports about five years ago and have not seen corrosion on these machine screws. They should be interior, and thus protected from actual contact with seawater.

Can you post pictures? Any idea of how old your ports are? Perhaps there has been a design change at some point.

Cheers!

Steve

[swdreams88]

We installed 18 of these ports. Total sea time is less than 5 years. What seems to occur is the port seeps along the rubber gasket when high seas flush the exterior frames with forces you can imagine. Small drips come down the surface of the frame in the cabin. Of course we adjust the pressure to eliminate the ingress of sea water, however this is an ongoing process.

As the sea water comes down the interior face of the frame and contacts the hardware the handle is bolted to...water seeps past the hardware, into and behind the frame against the interior wall. This is where the machine screw head is held behind the frame. When corrosion begins the water draining out from behind the frame is rusty. See the series of photos attached.

Over time the head of the machine screw holding the handle, locking the window closed fails in a critical manner. This allows the handle to pop off, as happened last month on day 5 of our journey from Vanuatu to the Marshall Islands, 1400 nm. This port is forth from the bow, starboard side, below the rub rail. See last photo of the side vessel profile.

Of those installed, it appears 4 more are showing signs of degeneration.

[GordMay]

Have you tried contacting New Found Metals, Inc.?
Phone: (360) 385-3315
Toll-free: (888) 437-5512
Fax: (360) 385-6097
E-mail: nfm@newfoundmetals.com
Web: https://newfoundmetals.com/contact/

[Sailmonkey]

Ahhh, your installation is vastly different than ours. We occasionally get the gasket weep, but our ports are in the cabin trunk. We could sail for 20 years and not get the exposure yours receive.

[Capn Jimbo]

I hope that New Found will respond to this post. I've sent them a link to this thread.

[Suijin]

Personally I think the NFM portlights are poorly engineered. The hinge and dog design is basically a kluge using off the shelf parts. I’m not surprised this happened. I have 9 of them by the way. I like them, they are beautiful and generally tough as nails, but whoever designed them is not an engineer.

As a fix when you put in new bolts, slather the heads and shaft that passes through the frame with Tef-gel or similar to keep water out.

[Scout 30]

A friend of mine installed the NFM bronze ports & they have corroded badly. Not the fasteners but the bronze ports themselves. After seeing how poor the alloy is I'd never buy their product.

[Afrakes]

Aren't ports located in those areas supposed to be fixed ports not opening?

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by Afrakes

Aren't ports located in those areas supposed to be fixed ports not opening?

Actually fixed or opening they are called portholes. A port is a town with a harbor or a type of wine. However, for the purpose of this discussion I think it's clear that port is short for porthole.

[Afrakes]

I believe that Lewmar does not recommend opening portholes installed where the original poster has them located. I wonder what NFM would say about their location?

[kmacdonald]

Glad I saw this post. I thought NFM portholes were the gold standard. They sure are purdy but I guess the devil is in the details.

[Argyle38]

I installed six of them 10 or so years ago. I've not seen this issue.

[Cabo Jim]

Originally Posted by Argyle38

I installed six of them 10 or so years ago. I've not seen this issue.

I have seen this issue only once in 12 years and I have 13 of the NFM portholes. I called NFM and they gladly sent me about 3 replacement machine screws for the dogs. They also told me how to adjust the hinges to get a tighter seal. Other than that one problem I really like the NFM portholes. I call them submarine windows. I tell people they are the best thing on the boat second only to the crew.
You want to talk about hardware problems? How about catastrophic failure of the threaded stud that supports the arm that holds the hatch open on Manship hatches. I have had several of these fail due to corrosion. I have not yet found a fix for this other than to replace the hatch frame or the hatch lid, depending on which stud has failed. If anyone has a more cost effective solution I would be glad to here it.