I am looking at New Found Metals port holes called "Tri Matrix". Does anybody have good or bad comments from their personal experience with them?
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Love them
I installed 5 of them on my 78 Hunter 30 this summer. The install was very easy, in fact my then 13 year-old son put the last one in. The only cutting I had to do was for the drain cutouts, as my old ports did not have any. Their online directions are very complete. You definitely do want to rent the drilling fixture from them. It is a $100 deposit, they refund $90 on return of the fixture. Just clamp the fixture in place drill a couple of holes, use a couple of bolts to hold the jig for the rest of the drilling. Get a good idea of the cabin thickness when you get ready to start. This will indicate whether you need spacers for the inside frame. I ended up needed them, as my cabin sides were only 1/4",but I just used the drilling fixture to cut spacers for the frames out of white StarBoard. My only complaint about the ports concerns the screens. They are a very nice Stainless Steel assembly, designed to mount between the opening portion and the fixed frame. They have a rubber gasket that holds them in place and seals the joint when the ports are closed. To install them the hinges have to be adjusted to allow for the extra thickness. They can be removed fairly easily, but then the ports do not seal properly with the thickness of the screen ass'y removed. Since I don't always want to have the screens installed, this did not work out for me. Instead, what I did was get some rubber edge molding that fits on the rim of the screen. I put one strip on both the top and bottom. This provides enough interference fit to hold the screens in place when inserted from the outside into the spigot. I can pop them in and out in seconds and they stay very secure. They really improved the appearance of the boat inside and out, and I can actually see thru them, and open and close them (amazing!). Sorry I don't have any photos to post, but there are some in the archives of an install on a Hunter 33. If you get down to Deltaville, my boat is at Stingray Point Marina, slip A-5, adjacent to the pool.
I installed 5 of them on my 78 Hunter 30 this summer. The install was very easy, in fact my then 13 year-old son put the last one in. The only cutting I had to do was for the drain cutouts, as my old ports did not have any. Their online directions are very complete. You definitely do want to rent the drilling fixture from them. It is a $100 deposit, they refund $90 on return of the fixture. Just clamp the fixture in place drill a couple of holes, use a couple of bolts to hold the jig for the rest of the drilling. Get a good idea of the cabin thickness when you get ready to start. This will indicate whether you need spacers for the inside frame. I ended up needed them, as my cabin sides were only 1/4",but I just used the drilling fixture to cut spacers for the frames out of white StarBoard. My only complaint about the ports concerns the screens. They are a very nice Stainless Steel assembly, designed to mount between the opening portion and the fixed frame. They have a rubber gasket that holds them in place and seals the joint when the ports are closed. To install them the hinges have to be adjusted to allow for the extra thickness. They can be removed fairly easily, but then the ports do not seal properly with the thickness of the screen ass'y removed. Since I don't always want to have the screens installed, this did not work out for me. Instead, what I did was get some rubber edge molding that fits on the rim of the screen. I put one strip on both the top and bottom. This provides enough interference fit to hold the screens in place when inserted from the outside into the spigot. I can pop them in and out in seconds and they stay very secure. They really improved the appearance of the boat inside and out, and I can actually see thru them, and open and close them (amazing!). Sorry I don't have any photos to post, but there are some in the archives of an install on a Hunter 33. If you get down to Deltaville, my boat is at Stingray Point Marina, slip A-5, adjacent to the pool.
Check quality out of the box
Ardie, I bought a set at the Newport (RI) boat show in Sept. and haven't had a chance to install them, but they are very sturdy pieces that give a whole lot more value for the same money than Becksons, which seem like plastic toys in comparison. One problem I did have was that quality control at the factory failed to notice that the hatch dog stops had not been attached correctly. Someone at the factory was having difficulty attaching the 3 little round screw-in stops that go on the small ports and tried gluing them in place. I had to remove them to redrill the holes and attach them better. I reported it to New Found Metals, who said they would inspect their shipments more carefully (The plastic ports are manufactured in China).
Ardie, I bought a set at the Newport (RI) boat show in Sept. and haven't had a chance to install them, but they are very sturdy pieces that give a whole lot more value for the same money than Becksons, which seem like plastic toys in comparison. One problem I did have was that quality control at the factory failed to notice that the hatch dog stops had not been attached correctly. Someone at the factory was having difficulty attaching the 3 little round screw-in stops that go on the small ports and tried gluing them in place. I had to remove them to redrill the holes and attach them better. I reported it to New Found Metals, who said they would inspect their shipments more carefully (The plastic ports are manufactured in China).
I put in 4 two years ago
they don't leak. I "free handed" the drilling, and would recommend the template rental. I had to replace/buy all new bolts, since the ones that came with the portlights were too long, so get that figured out when you order. I am seeing a little yellowing on the exterior frames after two years, so they don't match the white cabin trunk as they did when first installed. I am going to install a couple more, so I think favorably of them. Photo of old and new portlights
they don't leak. I "free handed" the drilling, and would recommend the template rental. I had to replace/buy all new bolts, since the ones that came with the portlights were too long, so get that figured out when you order. I am seeing a little yellowing on the exterior frames after two years, so they don't match the white cabin trunk as they did when first installed. I am going to install a couple more, so I think favorably of them. Photo of old and new portlights
About the yellowing
Scott, when I talked to the New Found Metals rep at the Newport boat show in Sept. he mentioned that the older versions of the plastic windows had a problem with yellowing and that the plastic has been reformulated to last about 10 years without yellowing. He said that NFM would send owners a new outer frame free to replace yellowed ones, so If you call them you should be able to replace the yellowed ones at no cost...
Scott, when I talked to the New Found Metals rep at the Newport boat show in Sept. he mentioned that the older versions of the plastic windows had a problem with yellowing and that the plastic has been reformulated to last about 10 years without yellowing. He said that NFM would send owners a new outer frame free to replace yellowed ones, so If you call them you should be able to replace the yellowed ones at no cost...
Definitely get them!
I replaced all 10 of my old Bowmar ports this summer and I love them. Installation is really simple but I'd definitely recommend renting the drilling template. Other than drilling the holes and counter sinking them the only work was re-cutting for the NFM drains which were in a different location than my old ones. As far a cabin wall thickness, speak to their customer service person and make sure they ship you various sizes (1", 1-1/4", etc.). Then see what the best size works for you, send the rest back and they'll replace them with your correct size. I unconditionally recommend them!
I replaced all 10 of my old Bowmar ports this summer and I love them. Installation is really simple but I'd definitely recommend renting the drilling template. Other than drilling the holes and counter sinking them the only work was re-cutting for the NFM drains which were in a different location than my old ones. As far a cabin wall thickness, speak to their customer service person and make sure they ship you various sizes (1", 1-1/4", etc.). Then see what the best size works for you, send the rest back and they'll replace them with your correct size. I unconditionally recommend them!
I would highly recommend them too!
I would highly recommend these ports too. After seeing the installation in Steve Weinstein's boat and knowing how mechanically inept he is, I know that ANYONE can install them.<g> Actually Steve did an excellent job! They look great. The only thing that I would have to say, is they take up slightly more room on the inside than the old Gray ports. This may be of some concern if you are using coverings on the ports. The biggest advantage is that they dog down and do not protrude on the exterior like the old ports did.
I would highly recommend these ports too. After seeing the installation in Steve Weinstein's boat and knowing how mechanically inept he is, I know that ANYONE can install them.<g> Actually Steve did an excellent job! They look great. The only thing that I would have to say, is they take up slightly more room on the inside than the old Gray ports. This may be of some concern if you are using coverings on the ports. The biggest advantage is that they dog down and do not protrude on the exterior like the old ports did.
wall must be uniform thickness?
Someone who's done the installation can tell us whether this is true, but I was talking with a friend who is about to install his and we began to realize that it may not be possible to install these on walls that aren't of uniform thickness (like coach roofs where the wall thickness on the bottom of port opening is greater than the thickness on top) because of the way the frame screws attach. Bomars and Becksons "slide through" their outer frames, or can be installed without the outer frame, but these can't. There's a phrase in the instructions that says "walls must be of even thickness" which is one of those things you might miss until you go to do the work...
Someone who's done the installation can tell us whether this is true, but I was talking with a friend who is about to install his and we began to realize that it may not be possible to install these on walls that aren't of uniform thickness (like coach roofs where the wall thickness on the bottom of port opening is greater than the thickness on top) because of the way the frame screws attach. Bomars and Becksons "slide through" their outer frames, or can be installed without the outer frame, but these can't. There's a phrase in the instructions that says "walls must be of even thickness" which is one of those things you might miss until you go to do the work...
As far as wall thickens goes, my H34 was uneven.
I have no idea as to the NFM ports but the Beckson ports I installed will install on any shaped cabin because the 'extra' just sticks out. What Hunter and most production boat builders DON'T do is to trim them flush at the trim ring. The instructions are on Becksons web site. It takes time and effort but then they look like this.
I have no idea as to the NFM ports but the Beckson ports I installed will install on any shaped cabin because the 'extra' just sticks out. What Hunter and most production boat builders DON'T do is to trim them flush at the trim ring. The instructions are on Becksons web site. It takes time and effort but then they look like this.
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