Replacement Fixed Ports

[Rick McCall]

Hi, I have a 1987 and I want to replaced the fixed ports. I see some advertised on cruisingconcepts.com. I would appreciate a recommendation on where to purchase and any tips on installation.
Thanks.

[Stu Jackson]

Rick

A search on "fixed ports" finds a lot of hits, of course there are many other items that pop up as well.

Here's one to start with:  http://www.c34.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1977&highlight=fixed+ports

Try the search on "fixed ports" and review the rest of them.  Try a search on "glazing", too.

Please add your hull # and year to help us to help you.

[Rick McCall]

Hi, thanks for the advice. But what I am still looking for is a good source for buying the replacement windows. I saw cruisingconcepts had them. Has anyone purchased the fixed ports from there, or anywhere else? I have a 1987, hull #243. My ports are in rough shape but I don't want to pull them for templates (and not be able to sail) but would rather do the whole job in a couple of nice days once replacements arrive.

Thanks

[Tom Glennon]

Rick:

I replaced all my ports when I bought my '87 a couple of years ago.  I carefully removed the old ones from one side of the vessel, and then brought them to a glass company and had them fabricate two new ones out of "lexan? They cut to the overall shape, but referred me to a plastics company to router the bevel on the interior edges.  The company that did the routering, also drilled the screw holes for me, using the old ports as a guide.

When installing, it is extremely important to make sure you tape all around the interior/exterior openings prior to applying the goop.  Also, VERY IMPORTANT.... for the solid areas between the main saloon and the head, and the galley area/aft compartment.... make sure to use plenty of goop there.... as one member wrote, "when you think you  have enough, add more!  Do not remove the protective paper coating both sides of the new ports until you are done caulking.  It keeps the ports nice and clean.

I ended up with a couple of voids, and had to fabricate a piece of brake-line tubing, cut at an angle like a syringe, and fitted to a hand grease-gun. I then flattened the tube in a vise so I could "puncture it" between the glass and the hull, and squeeze in the goop to fill the voids.  

It actually wasn't as bad as it sounds. Just lots of prep... and pleanty of goop!  Good luck

[Stu Jackson]

Rick

Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and take a day off sailing to fix something.  It's usually worth it because to do that you end up taking a day off work, too.  

I think the earlier reference also included a reference to Tap Plastics.  While I didn't use them for my ports, they were and are a great source for plastics.  Don't know if you have a retail store near you.  From what I've read about the replacement, it's more than a quick in and out if you want to match perfectly.  As I wrote in an earlier post, ours simply leaked, of course, but we were on board when it rained, so a quick fix followed by a more thorough fix at the dock has them in good shape.

[SteveLyle]

I got my fixed ports from Catalina.  You send in your old ones, they use them as templates to make new ones.  Takes about a week and a half, and the price was a lot less than I could get them done for around here.

Don't know if anyone's used the CruisingConcepts product, it sounds fairly new.  Their price is in the ballpart, I seem to recall that Catalina was about $50/port.