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05-07-2008
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Location: Maine Coast
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My Latest Project - New Portlights !!
Hi All,
I've not been around as much lately because it's that "work on the boat" time of season..
For my latest project I installed eight New Found Metals stainless steel portlights. The transformation from the old plastic Beckson portlights to the NFM portlights is even better than I expected. They are not cheap but when the price is compared against their plastic counterparts they actually become quite a bargain.
The NFM portlights are very, very well built and made from solid cast & polished 316 stainless steel. These are not cheaply made stamped frames! The thing I really like about them is no visible fasteners on the exterior of the portlight..
The biggest benefit, that I had never considered or counted on, is the additional light in our cabin. It's like someone flipped the light switch. I guess there is a visible difference between real glass and tinted plastic..
If you're interested in how to do this install you can read my latest "how to" here (advanced warning this article is quite long):
Installing New Found Metals Ports
Before:
After:

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05-07-2008
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Telstar 28
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New England
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Very nice Halekai. How long did those take to install??
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Sailingdog
Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Captain Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity (slightly edited)
If you're new to the Sailnet Forums... please read this POST.
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05-07-2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sailingdog
Very nice Halekai. How long did those take to install??
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They took a lot longer than I had anticipated. I have about 45 hours into them or 5 1/2 hours per port but that included polishing the cabin sides and varnishing the teak trim rings. Applying the butyl, from the outside as I did, took about 50 minutes per port. The stuff is tenacious and it was very tough to squeeze it into the gap and get two passes. The actual installation/clean up after the holes were cut & prepped took about two hours per port.
NFM says to seal the m from the inside, perhaps because it's easier? Unfortunately or fortunately, I never seal anything on a boat from the inside as I just don't agree with the basic premise or concept. I'd rather spend more time installing than tracing a diverted water leak from a seal on the inside of the cabin....
Seating the Butyl:
Sealant & Butyl:

Last edited by halekai36 : 05-07-2008 at 03:49 PM.
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05-07-2008
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Telstar 28
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New England
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Just curious...roughly how much are the NFM ports and what size are the ones you installed???
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Sailingdog
Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Captain Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity (slightly edited)
If you're new to the Sailnet Forums... please read this POST.
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05-07-2008
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Maine Coast
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Those are 4X14 and were about $200.00 +/- per port but then I needed teak spacers @ 40.00 ea and the bolts, metric pan heads were $5.00 per port & screens. For eight ports I'm running close to $2400.00..
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05-07-2008
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Coastal Cruiser
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Once again, amazing. Thanks for the write up and the photos.
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05-07-2008
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Telstar 28
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Join Date: Mar 2006
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Thanks for the info Halekai. 
__________________
Sailingdog
Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Captain Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity (slightly edited)
If you're new to the Sailnet Forums... please read this POST.
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05-07-2008
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 2007
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Nice work Halekai. They really pop.
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Indigo 1976 Catalina Yachts C-22
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05-07-2008
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It is what it is...
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Elliott Bay Marina, N-106 Seattle, WA
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Nice job... Question though - what really makes those templates so special?
Couldn't they create a template in paper for someone to actually make one themselves? I considered those ports - but who wants to purchase and wait 5-6 months to get a template to install them.....
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-- Jody
S/V "Hello Gorgeous" - 1983, Barberis Show 38!
"Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein
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05-07-2008
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jan 2003
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Quote:
Originally Posted by artbyjody
Nice job... Question though - what really makes those templates so special?
Couldn't they create a template in paper for someone to actually make one themselves? I considered those ports - but who wants to purchase and wait 5-6 months to get a template to install them.....
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Usually you don't have to wait that long to get one but 4X14 is the most popular size and they recently built a new factory which slowed things a bit.
What makes them so special is that they are made of a very thick 1/2" PVC type plastic and they have built in drill guides at each hole so you don't drill your holes crooked. The other thing that makes them special is that all you pay for is the shipping. You give them a deposit and when you're done ship it back and they credit you the $90.00.
Sure you could make one, it's very easy to trace the trim ring onto paper then transfer that to wood or plastic, but why? The plastic alone would cost three times the shipping...

Last edited by halekai36 : 05-07-2008 at 07:48 PM.
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