Another Port Question

[H37 LunaSea]

I have a 1980 37c which is in bad need of new ports. Has anyone changed the smaller ports towards the bow with 7x14's to match the ports in the salon? It appears that plenty of room exists to mount them such that visually they will appear even (at least on the exterior). I cannot think of any functional reason that smaller ports are needed toward the bow (especially using stainless). If you have photos, ideas, or experience with this change, please let me know.

 

[Ed Schenck]

I don't thing that it matters but the sides are thinner where the 5x12s are installed. I replaced all of mine with NFM bronze but stayed with the same size. If I had used the 7x15s up front the bosses might have been too long. Then the two frames would not clamp tight to the sides. I guess I could have shortened the bosses but lose some strength with less threads for the machine screws. On a personal note I think the boat looks better with the three large and two small.

 

[Benny]

Offshore boats as a rule use small portholes. By shrinking the size they can make them stronger than a larger one with comparable materials. The smaller the opening the less water that will enter. In this case Hunter may have tried to make the portholes by the bow stronger than the rest by making them smaller. The fact that they may be cheaper don't hurt.