bronze sailboat portlights

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Fitting Bronze Portlights

Posted by Armand Stephens | Maintenance , Projects

Swap your old plastic windows for salty new ports

After buying our old 1965 Alberg 30, Mary and I knew that part of the renovation program would be the replacement of the old fixed windows with operating bronze portlights.  There were several reasons for this, and not the least was good evidence that the old windows leaked. The old Plexiglas was scratched, and someone had already replaced three of the small windows with bronze portlights. “Why only three?” we wondered. Mary and I also thought that the bronze portlights would give our old boat a “salty” look.

We ordered our portlights from Marine Depot in Chino, Calif. The small portlights cost $160 each, and the very large ones were $280 each. We had the portlights in hand before starting this project.

Left: Remove old fixed lights and grind a large bevel. The sharp edge of the bevel should be paper thin. Middle: Cover Plexiglas with mold release and attach to outside of boat with tape. Paint gelcoat onto inside surface. Right: fiberglass in old opening.

Removing the old fixed windows was easy and probably made easier because we were not trying to save any of the old window parts.

I have spent many hours working on my boat, and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute of it except for the grinding of old fiberglass. I don’t care what kind of dust mask, cap, or goggles you put on, a certain amount of ground up fiberglass will find “home” under your armpit or down your underwear! Let the itching begin.

Grinding a 3-inch bevel around the old windows was a nasty job using a body grinder with 36-grit sandpaper. Plexiglas was coated with paste wax and attached to the outside of the window opening, wax side facing in. We used duct tape to secure the Plexiglas. Then we mixed up gelcoat and brushed it onto the wax-coated Plexiglas. Next were three layers of fiberglass cloth and resin. Fiberglass mat was then used in alternate layers with the cloth.

Left: Fill in low spots with epoxy filler. Cut new opening with portable electric jigsaw. Center: Paint interior and drill bolt holes to secure new portlight. Caulk around the portlight and install portlight with bolts. Right: Go sailing and enjoy your new ports, which look as if they’ve always been there.

This process continued until the old window opening was flush with the surrounding cabin wall. We used 80-grit sandpaper to even out the surface. We removed the wax-coated Plexiglas and cut out new oval openings using a portable electric jigsaw.

We painted the inside of the cabin before installing the new portlights.

May you have good views and fresh air through your new portlights.

Resources for ports

Beckson Marine , Plastic parts for ports 203-333-1412, http://www.beckson.com

Bristol Bronze , Bronze port glass retainers (non-opening ports) 401-625-5224, http://www.bristolbronze.com

New Found Metals , Bronze and stainless steel ports

888-437-5512, http://www.newfoundmetals.com

Rostand RI, Inc. , Bronze opening ports 401-949-4268

Taylor Made Systems , Aluminum, stainless, and plastic opening ports and replacement parts, flat and curved tempered safety glass

518-773-0636 http://www.taylormarine.com

Article from Good Old Boat magazine, July/August 2001.

About The Author

Armand Stephens

Armand is a retired schoolteacher (high school woodworking). Immediately after they retired, he and Mary bought Quest, their Alberg 30, and spent 10 months bringing her to a better-than-new state. They've sailed on San Francisco Bay for more than 30 years.

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Detaching them from the frames was intuitive and fast. I then placed the portlight on my workspace, outer gasket up. This gasket formed the watertight seal with the frame, and its removal was required to access the pane inside. It also destroyed it.

These screws were 4-32 x 1/4 inch or 4-32 x 3/8 inch. What I found was a mix, though the 3/8-inch  rarely fit well. I removed these. A bedding compound was used under the retainer to seal the windowpane in the portlight. My ring and pane either popped right out or required prying, or a fine blade, to break the seal.

With the pane removed, I used acetone, a box knife, a razor blade, a screwdriver, sandpaper, time, and elbow grease to clean all the surfaces.

I chose a black silicone-polyurethane hybrid for the new sealant, banking on compression more than adhesion to seal the panes. I liberally added this to the pane’s frame, gently laid the glass in, added more sealant on top, filling in any spaces, and put the retaining ring in place. Using new 1/4-inch brass screws, unless 3/8-inch fit properly, I started their threading, careful not to squeeze out all the sealant, and leaving room to tighten them later. I let this cure for at least 24 hours, then drove in all the screws and trimmed away the excess sealant on both sides of the pane.

Unable to source outer gaskets, I did find 3/8-inch square silicone rubber bar stock. I cut it to fit the retaining ring, using a jig to trim the ends at 45-degree angles, creating a scarf joint for a better seal. Using the same hybrid sealant, I bedded the ring, focusing on the bottom and inside edges, then laid the rubber bar in, sealing in the scarf joint on the top of the portlight.

I immediately reinstalled the porthole in the frame, using the Allen-wrench adjustments to ensure a square fit and compression. I used rags to clean any sealant that was squeezed out on both sides and let it cure. After a couple of days, I used pressurized water to test the seals. I was fortunate enough not to have any leakers.

If you take on this project, there are some aesthetics to consider. Sampaguita appears to have the original two-pane safety glass windows. Mine had some cloudiness around the edges from moisture ingress. I researched the replacement of these with new glass or acrylic but ultimately decided to reuse the old ones. Next, if you like bright and shiny, the bronze frames and portholes could be polished more easily when disassembled. Also, the silicone bar stock that my source offered came only in red. Black may be available from a different vendor.

As with most boat projects, expect complications. If your panes have been leaking for a while, the brass screws holding the retaining ring may have dezincified. Of my six portholes, two panes had this issue with the lowest two screws. Three out of four, the heads came off, but I was able to use penetrating oil and pliers to remove the shafts. The fourth was more of a production as it broke off inside the frame and required me to drill it out, and later, re-tap the hole to a 5-40 size. The larger screw also meant some machining to the retaining ring and the screw itself to ensure a good fit. That one fastener was the most complicated part of the whole job. Also, the tedious chore of cleaning the surfaces will depend on the sealing compounds used previously. Mine had a couple of different materials and tenacities.

As a sailor and not a professional shipwright, I am not an authority on how best to repair these portlights. I felt capable of doing the job, and it was apparent the savings on labor would be significant. As with many things, the fear of the unknown is often the biggest block. I’m hoping this will remove some of the mystery of the job for those courageous enough to give it a go. For boaters who want to have big adventures with small budgets, The Resourceful Sailor presents insight on how that might be possible. Remember, keep your solutions prudent and safe, and have a blast.

Great job. What was the average time spent per portlight (roughly) including the time spent on the difficult ones? Being that I have 10 of them and that would be pushing $4000 to have PSC do the job, and they all appear to have original seals (from 1991) I suppose I should start doing a few every now and then, even though they only leak when I forget to close them tight.

Tiemo, thanks for reading. It is difficult to say just how long as the project stretched on for a few months. My approach was to treat each port as its own project, I wasn’t pressed due to leaking, and my work space was less than ideal. I would say each port took a couple hours each on average. So much depends on corrosion and adhesive removal. I’ve met people who have used flax packing for gaskets too, which would eliminate some of the adhesive removal when changing them out. I can’t speak on the effectiveness of this as a gasket material.

I found this – WEFCO Square Hollow Rubber Gasket – 5/16″ – at Defender. Very similar to the old gasket in my Luders 33.

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Round Bronze Portlight

$ 269.95 – $ 329.95

Our Round Bronze Portlight comes in three sizes.  To figure out if you need a standard or extended portlight see our Quick Size Guide below.

• Description

Additional information

– C.E. rated – bolt through construction – spring hinges – EPDM gaskets – 8mm (5/16″) & 10mm (3/8″) tempered glass – fully adjustable hinges and dogs – built-in 21° drains

PORTLIGHT SIZES & PRICES

• Standard Round Bronze
• Extended Round Bronze

*click the portlight size to download a dimension drawing **add tinting to windows for $30 more

*if you need an extended portlight dimension drawing, please  contact us, **add tinting to windows for $30 more, quick size guide:, do you need a standard or extended portlight.

Standard Size Portlight – cabin side thickness is between ½” to 1½” Extended Size Portlight – cabin side thickness between 1½” to 2″ *Cabin side thickness below ½” will need to use a spacer, find out more about our teak spacers *Cabin side thickness beyond 2″, call for a custom quote

Find our full portlight sizing guide here , call (360) 385-3315  or email  [email protected] to talk with an expert.

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REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR RECTANGULAR PORTHOLES

SPARE ABI PORTHOLE STUDS Spare Dogs and Studs for all of the Polished Bronze or Stainless Steel portholes.

ANCHOR-STYLE PORTHOLE CHAINS Anchor-Style Porthole Chains are finished in Polished Brass ONLY. Secures with two (2) #6 fasteners(not included).

T-BAR PORTHOLE CHAINS T-Bar Porthole Chains have machined groove to fit dogs. Finished in Polished Brass or Polished Stainless Steel. Secures with two (2) #6 fasteners (not included).

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Bronze Opening Portlight - Rectangle, Blue Water

Bronze Portlight - Opening

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Description

This heavy-duty solid bronze rectangular opening portlight features stainless steel hinge pins, cast bronze knobs and extra-thick 3/8" (10mm) tempered glass. 

High quality neoprene seals ensure a watertight fit. An insect screen is included.

Finished in rumbled bronze (polished bronze finish available by special order).

Fasteners to suit are sold separately.

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