FAQ: Beckson Ports

My '89 C34 had Beckson ports in the quarter-cabin (by 1989, Catalina switched to Lewmar for the main cabin ports). The ones in the quarter-cabin leaked a tiny bit, so I removed them and rebedded them. They use a standard clamshell arrangement, and it was easy to rebed them with silicone caulk after carefully cleaning off the opening. Most of the leakage problems with the Beckson ports had to do with the gaskets. Specifically, I discovered that the natural urge to tighten the toggles to try to stop leaks is exactly the wrong thing to do!
Click on picture to enlarge.
Overtightening the toggles deforms the gasket and can actually make the leakage worse. Instead, try lightly lubricating the mating surfaces of the gasket with Vaseline (yeah, it's okay, Beckson told me to do it!). The toggles should be adjusted so that there's only light pressure on the gasket; it should be easy to flip the toggle into the locked position. 

After 6 years, the gaskets were aging and had lost a lot of their resiliency, so I replaced them (Beckson mailed them to me, asking just $5 for the pair). The new gaskets worked fine, and the ports haven't leaked since. (Norm Bernstein)

Beckson port replacement part ordering information 

Important: The opinions expressed here are those of the individual contributors to this page, and not those of the Catalina 34 National Association or Catalina Yachts, Inc. Additionally, this material has not been reviewed by Catalina Yachts, Inc. for technical accuracy. This page's maintainer cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information or the desirability of suggested modifications or upgrades. Please obtain assistance from a competent marine mechanic or boatyard prior to making any significant modifications to your vessel.