I know that most of the posts on this site are for sailors trying to fix something broken. But it's nice to install something new as an improvement.
I wasn't sure how tough it would be to remove the old forward ports that had been in place for 30 years, but after cutting through a ton of caulking and butyl tape they finally came free. The perimeter balsa core was in surpisingly good condition for its age, thanks to all that caulk & sealant. I almost killed my saber saw trying to cut through the fiberglass - over 3/4" thick sandwich of glass & core at the cabin sides - no wonder the C 30 is so heavy! Of course the new ports were just 1/4" too big for the existing opening. I bought Lewmar Ocean Series #2 ports which are pretty good quality. Although I did have to install the threaded retaining bolts with stacked washers around heads to make up for the extra screw length. I do not recommend 3m's 4200 sealant that I used to seal the ports. Every time I've used it its a pain in the @#%$! to even get out of the tube! Seeing how well the Butyl tape held up, I wish I'd bought a roll of it for the installation. Looking forward to better ventilation next season, Cheers!
I wasn't sure how tough it would be to remove the old forward ports that had been in place for 30 years, but after cutting through a ton of caulking and butyl tape they finally came free. The perimeter balsa core was in surpisingly good condition for its age, thanks to all that caulk & sealant. I almost killed my saber saw trying to cut through the fiberglass - over 3/4" thick sandwich of glass & core at the cabin sides - no wonder the C 30 is so heavy! Of course the new ports were just 1/4" too big for the existing opening. I bought Lewmar Ocean Series #2 ports which are pretty good quality. Although I did have to install the threaded retaining bolts with stacked washers around heads to make up for the extra screw length. I do not recommend 3m's 4200 sealant that I used to seal the ports. Every time I've used it its a pain in the @#%$! to even get out of the tube! Seeing how well the Butyl tape held up, I wish I'd bought a roll of it for the installation. Looking forward to better ventilation next season, Cheers!
