Cabintop Handrails

[David Popken]

Thru-Bolting The Grays

is a royal pain in the ass. After three (with two more to go), I think I have the technique for proper alignment if anyone cares. Once you have removed the old ports, carved out the deeper grooves for the new and improved drain spigots, cleaned and lightly sanded both inside and outside surfaces, install the portlight with the outer trim ring in place. Open the port and clamp the assembly together with a couple of spring clamps, or if you are lucky enough to have one, get your assistant hold the assembly together while you drill pilot holes from the inside screw holes through the trim ring, using a drill bit sized so that it does not enlarge the interior holes. Once that is completed, you will have to remove the trim ring and enlarge the holes so that the special nuts will fit flush. From there it's a dry fit of ALL of the 16 fasteners, another disassembly and then, in my case, lots of 5200 and final assembly.

 

[Tom Hadoulias]

Hi Mike!

Glad to hear from you! I think we all share the same sentiments of frustration on the NFM portlights. I personally have not had any problems with the leaks, I sent my chrome plated bronze ports back and exchanged them for the new 7X15 stainless series before I got started installing them and they where very accomodating to me. These involved much less filling in, actually I had to increase the cutout size a little to get them to fit. I've used three different methods of installation so far. 1) I first epoxied the delaminated wood in the core and used clamps to get back to the factory thickness. After that set I drilled all the holes and fitted the portlight, I then masked off the area and used Life-Seal (Silicone, Polyurethane mix) and screwed them together. Huge mess of oozing sealer at a use rate of almost one tube per 5X12" portlight. 2) Did the same epoxy fix but used EDPM as a sealer, worked well and no masking or mess. 3) This method worked the best and was extremely quick compared to the other methods but it is a permanent installation. I prefit the port dry, then mix and coat the core with epoxy. Install the port with two wood screws on the inside just to hold it in place, fill the voids with the epoxy and filler from the outside flush to the cabin side and clamp the whole thing together so that I have a uniform thickness to the cabin side by squeezing the inner and outer liners together using the portlight frame on the inside and a couple of 1X1's on the outside. Just before the epoxy kicks over hard I relieve pressure and scrape all the excess off the outside, the port is now permanently epoxied in place. I now drill the holes thru the cabin side from the inside half way out, take the trim ring and mark each threaded insert location with a dab of black silicone, slip this over the spigot until it touches the cabin side and you have your outside hole locations marked. I drill those to meet the inner holes, fit and enlage the holes to accomodate the outer ring inserts, put butyl rubber all the way around and screw it down. Works great! Won't be coming out! And I sure hope I never have to take them out! Actually, the trim ring comes off for resealing if you have to. The only problem with the portlights now is, the same problem everyone else has had with the NFM's. They don't drain!Tom HadouliasS/V Lite Chop

 

[Gene Gruender]

Tom, I'm still around - sometimes!

I drop in when I can. Seems like time gets shorter and shorter.After I did the portlights (which still have leaks and I'm not happy with them) I built the arch, converted the port water tank to fuel, replaced my ailing autopilot with a new one and sailed to Mexico.Whole different area, but I'm pretty busy with this new project:http://users2.ev1.net/~rainbowchaser/avion/avion.htmlIt's not a boat, but then, it's still about the same stuff. WHY can't I just go out and buy something new? I must have some sort of illness!In addition to all tha, I went back to work, too. Not much time left. Got to get out of this ratrace and head back to The Bahamas!

 

[Tom Hadoulias]

Gene, where is the mast???

You obviously are one of those folks who likes to do a lot of things, talk about diversification! You are definately a gluton for punishment but you sure do seem to be able to get things done and go enjoy them. Good for you! I envy you. Sounds like you're land bound with the new job for a little while but I'd love to hear about the Mexico trip. Will you be posting some new photo's to the Rainbow Chaser site? Let me know when your Bahamas bound and maybe we can follow you over, or we're on the Indian River near Port Canaveral if you need a dock to hang out on for a while.Tom HadouliasS/V Lite Chop

 

[Ed Schenck]

Gene, have you been. . .

to the doctor? Shrink I mean. I cannot believe you undertook that Avion after all the work on Rainbow Chaser! And you mentioned Austin, what about the new house in Missouri?Like Tom I hope we will hear about Mexico. But when could you possibly have time!? For those of you who do not know about Gene and Rainbow Chaser see the Related Link, especially "Upgrades and Repairs...".

 

[Gene Gruender]

Gotta write up the Mexico trip!

Guess I'll have to soon.Broke a forestay at 5 am, that was a highlight.Finished 5 out of 5, not the best. But we did tow someone in!As to the camper, went to lunch a little bit ago to vote, voted, on the way back, BAM! Cars bunched up, a girl 2 cars back was daydreaming, slammed into the car behind me, shoved her into me. Yes, the camper was on the truck. No, it wasn't hurt. They towed two destroyed cars off, couldn't even see a mark on the Dodge diesel! She went under the camper, totally destroyed the front of her car on my class 4 hitch, bounced back and didn't hurt a thing on mine!OK, back to sailing!Gene