See port replacement article in Photo Forum!
- Thread starter Phil Herring
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To Ed and Tim
Ed, I was heavily influenced by the performance of the original port installation in not trying to seal the cutout solid with epoxy. The two instances of water in the core evidenced when the ports came out were traced I believe to a badly sealed forward hatch and to handrail screw holes cracked from stress that had allowed water to enter the core. In the instance of the forward hatch, a brown stain on the liner below the inner flange evidenced the hatch leak but I didn’t recognize cause and effect until the port and the forward hatch were out. Anyway, after thinking about it, I believe that an accidental result of the original construction is that if water does enter the core area of the roof, in seeping downward it tends to be intercepted by what amounts to a kind of catch basin effect of the barrel and inner flange of the port which delivers any water to the cabin lining just below the flange. Thus, it seems to me that it may be better to leave at least the top of the port cutout unepoxyed and not caulk the inner flange to the cabin liner so that any water can come on out flagging early a problem above the port. Tim, with 5200 bedding of the port I would be pretty sure that the lens is going to be the weakest link in bluewater extreme conditions even without any through bolting. Even without through bolting, any impact load would be distributed to the cabin trunk starting at the sealant connection with the outside trim ring and continuing through the core with the sealant structurally joining the port barrel to the cabin trunk structure. Finally, there are 16 screws holding the inside flange. All of this says that that plastic lens is going to break long before the frame moves. Thus, saving and storing some of the old lenses aboard for use in the event of breakage and changing out the pins for bolts to simplify changeout is a great idea, certainly for anybody planning such an ocean crossing as you are. I’ve thought about storing some blank plywood plates with provision for screwing or spiking to the cabin trunk but under really awful conditions, seems to me your plan to replace from the inside probably would have a better chance of success. Wonder if there are any documented instances of those Gray ports shattering under a breaking wave or capsize? I wasn’t as agile as you and so had to remove the cabinet above the galley to get that particular port out and in. Haven’t put in the washboards yet but have installed a bowroller as a kind of slightly scaled down version of what you have done and will post some photos of it as it seems to have come out pretty well.
Ed, I was heavily influenced by the performance of the original port installation in not trying to seal the cutout solid with epoxy. The two instances of water in the core evidenced when the ports came out were traced I believe to a badly sealed forward hatch and to handrail screw holes cracked from stress that had allowed water to enter the core. In the instance of the forward hatch, a brown stain on the liner below the inner flange evidenced the hatch leak but I didn’t recognize cause and effect until the port and the forward hatch were out. Anyway, after thinking about it, I believe that an accidental result of the original construction is that if water does enter the core area of the roof, in seeping downward it tends to be intercepted by what amounts to a kind of catch basin effect of the barrel and inner flange of the port which delivers any water to the cabin lining just below the flange. Thus, it seems to me that it may be better to leave at least the top of the port cutout unepoxyed and not caulk the inner flange to the cabin liner so that any water can come on out flagging early a problem above the port. Tim, with 5200 bedding of the port I would be pretty sure that the lens is going to be the weakest link in bluewater extreme conditions even without any through bolting. Even without through bolting, any impact load would be distributed to the cabin trunk starting at the sealant connection with the outside trim ring and continuing through the core with the sealant structurally joining the port barrel to the cabin trunk structure. Finally, there are 16 screws holding the inside flange. All of this says that that plastic lens is going to break long before the frame moves. Thus, saving and storing some of the old lenses aboard for use in the event of breakage and changing out the pins for bolts to simplify changeout is a great idea, certainly for anybody planning such an ocean crossing as you are. I’ve thought about storing some blank plywood plates with provision for screwing or spiking to the cabin trunk but under really awful conditions, seems to me your plan to replace from the inside probably would have a better chance of success. Wonder if there are any documented instances of those Gray ports shattering under a breaking wave or capsize? I wasn’t as agile as you and so had to remove the cabinet above the galley to get that particular port out and in. Haven’t put in the washboards yet but have installed a bowroller as a kind of slightly scaled down version of what you have done and will post some photos of it as it seems to have come out pretty well.
For what it is worth.
The latest issue of Sailing had a scary story about three guys crossing the Southern Ocean in a 35-foot cutter. They were turtled three times and the writer's description is not to be missed. And I think the pictures of this Aussie built yacht showed plastic portlights. They arrived safely(?) in Australia from Cape Horn. So why am I installing bolt-through bronze portlights with safety glass?
The latest issue of Sailing had a scary story about three guys crossing the Southern Ocean in a 35-foot cutter. They were turtled three times and the writer's description is not to be missed. And I think the pictures of this Aussie built yacht showed plastic portlights. They arrived safely(?) in Australia from Cape Horn. So why am I installing bolt-through bronze portlights with safety glass?
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