Help me understand storm portlight covers

[coreywoodworking]

I've never seen any articles on storm portlight covers.

1. What form do they take? Is it 1/2" plywood on the exterior, through-bolted to plywood on the interior -- forming a clamped sandwich -- with massive wingnuts?
2. Do the bolts -- I imagine 3-4 -- pass through at the corners of the broken portlight or thread into existing somethings in the cabinhouse exterior fiberglas?
3. Are storm shutters/covers bolted onto the exterior of portlights before a storm or after the portlight smashes?
4. How many should you carry? Enough for the port or starboard side? Or like one storm cover for every three ports?
5. Do you know of any articles or book chapters devoted to this topic?

[Faster]

I think you'll find they take two forms.. covers that a preventative in nature, and then there's the emergency repair approach.

The latter would likely take the form you describe, bolted/clamped in after the failure, through the broken port.

On various pilothouse style boats I've seen heading offshore, they will have mounted extra thick acrylic or lexan outside the standard ports to preserve visibility and light, while seriously protecting the ports in case of severe boarding seas. I've seen them attached flush and on standoffs... not sure of the basis for that decision, might be easier to keep both clean with the space while still providing protection from direct impact.

[sailingdog]

Roger Long wrote up a nice article about setting up storm covers on s/v Strider.

Originally Posted by coreywoodworking

I've never seen any articles on storm portlight covers.

1. What form do they take? Is it 1/2" plywood on the exterior, through-bolted to plywood on the interior -- forming a clamped sandwich -- with massive wingnuts?

I would use 1/2" acrylic. If you're hunkered down inside the cabin, being able to see outside is a good thing... and acrylic is lower maintenance than plywood IMHO.

2. Do the bolts -- I imagine 3-4 -- pass through at the corners of the broken portlight or thread into existing somethings in the cabinhouse exterior fiberglas?

Yes, see the article

3. Are storm shutters/covers bolted onto the exterior of portlights before a storm or after the portlight smashes?

ideally, you should have them mounted before heavy weather hits. Another reason I say they should be acrylic rather than plywood.

4. How many should you carry? Enough for the port or starboard side? Or like one storm cover for every three ports?

Each port should have its own. This is especially true if you have large, unusually shaped deadlights.

5. Do you know of any articles or book chapters devoted to this topic?

See above.

Having some 1/2" plywood to act as emergency repair supplies is a good idea too. These would be used if the storm covers and ports actually break, rather than as a prophylactic measure.