Chrysler Sailors Forum

Hello everyone -

I have a C22 with the original portlights. They leak, look terrible, etc.

I'm looking at some new portlights that open, but I'm finding that the openings that are needed for new portlights don't work. It isn't a matter of simply needing to cut a larger opening - it is a matter of needing to reduce the length of the present openings.

The way I look at it, I can install a new portlight and have it fit in correctly on the top, bottom and one end. The other end, however, would have a gap of a few inches that would need to be filled in/rebuilt.

Bascially, I would need to restore the outer surface of the cabin, have a layer or two of fiberglass mat, some sort of plywood or deck material, another layer or two of fiberglass mat and then I'd need to restore the inner cabin appearance.

I'm just wondering if anyone might be aware of the procedures that should be followed to make a portlight opening smaller - if it can be done that is.

Thanks for any advice you are able to offer.

Mike
Madison WI

Possibly you could make an adapter plate/ring that makes up the difference - sorta like when you install an aftermarket radio in your car and the new one is smaller than the original .

The portlights are afiixed to the center of the plate/ring, and the plate/ring affixed to the outside of the cabin.

That way you don't have to make any mods to the boat, and you can reinstall the originals if you ever need to.

Thanks for the reply.

I emailed with a guy who had installed ports like the ones I had been considering. He used 1/16" aluminum sheets for frame material, but if he had it to do over again he said he'd use G10 sheets instead (it's a fiberglass composite if I undertand correctly).

The manufacturer of the opening ports I was considering said they'd drain if installed on a cabin side that was 64 to 90 degrees in relation to the deck. I used a sliding bevel to transfer the angle between the cabin side and the deck on the C-22. Therein lies the problem.

Directly on the front end of the window nearest the bow, I came up with an angle of 55 degrees. On the aft end of the rear port, I came up with an angle of 60 degrees.

The manufacturer said that it is likely that some water would not drain and that it would come in if the window were opened.

I liked the ports made by NFM because they had received good reviews, appeared well made and were reasonable in terms of cost.

I'm wondering if anyone else has recommendations for opening ports to consider for use on a C-22?

Mike

I realized that I made a mistake in measuring the angle of the cabin side - so I went ahead and ordered four 5x12 Trimatrix portlights from New Found Metals.

I also ordered a sheet of G10 and cut it to fit on the inside and outside of the cabin over the existing port openings. The G10 is 8 1/2 x 20 to cover the larger original portlight openings and 8 1/2 x 18 to cover the smaller original portlight openings. In the middle of each piece of G10 I cut an opening that measures 5 1/2 x 12 1/2 for the NFM portlights.

The overall size of the NFM portlights is 8 x 15, so I needed to have the G10 8 1/2 inches high to ensure that the portlight plate had G10 under its entire surface.

Where the old ports were I'm cutting some Marine grade plywood and soaking it with penetrating epoxy and inserting it into the void where the old ports used to be. I'll then use the G10 panels made for each portlight as a template to mark and then cut the plywood/existing cabin wall for the same 5 1/2 x 12 1/2 opening for the NFM portlights.

Given the way the NFM portlights are constructed and attached to the boat - I don't think this will create any structural issues. I also think it will make it difficult if not impossible to go back to the original ports.

Hopefully this will work.

Mike
Madison, WI