Portlight screens

[touche]

Does anybody have any ideas on constructing screens, or a source for new, for oval portlights for an '87 PSC 34?

[wsmurdoch]

My 1988 PSC 34 has oval ports as does the 1985 PCS 34 in the adjacent slip. Our oval ports are not the same. To me, his look like the ports shown on the Spartan Marine web site

Bronze and Stainless Marine Hardware, Seacocks, Portholes, Thru Hulls - Spartan Marine Hardware and Accessories

They sell screens for their ports.

My ports are similar but not branded. I made the screens for my ports. They oval plywood rings 1/2" thick and 3/4" wide with a rabbit cut into one side to receive a rubber spline that holds no-see-um screen across the opening in the ring. I made the a pattern for the six large ports and another pattern for the four small ports. When I had the fit right, I copied them with a router and made enough for all my ports. They are stained and varnished to match the interior teak on the boat.

They are bigger than the interior opening in the ports and smaller than the outside opening and wedge halfway in. I glued velvet ribbon around the edge where they contact the port to get a good seal and to keep from scratching off the varnish.

If I had it to do again, I would probably use tan or brown HMWPE rather than plywood.

I also made similar screens for the two large Bowmar hatches.

Bill Murdoch
Irish Eyes
New Bern, NC

[touche]

Bill,
Sounds good. Thank you very much!

[touche]

Bill,
Just re-read your post and don't understand what HMWPE is.
George

[wsmurdoch]

HMWPE - high molecular weight polyethylene - Starbright is one brand - Plastic sheet that can be worked with wood working or metal working tools.

Bill Murdoch

[arisatx]

Came across this website yesterday - looking for screens for mine as well and am unsure if I'll ever be able to get them thru the factory...

Screens of Schooner Bay

They look nicely made.

[Sapperwhite]

Arisatx, thanks for the link.... I was kind of lurking this post because I am missing a few screens from my Orion. This looks perfect! Thanks again.

[touche]

Arisatx,
thanks for the link. the screens look good.
Touche

[Mortimer49735]

I own a 1989 PSC 31 with rectangular portlights. I have ordered replacement screens from sailboatstuff.com which appear to match the portlights on my boat. Will advise after receipt if they work out.

I had gone to Spartan Maarine as suggested, but my portlight was slightly differant. My portlights were appaarently manufactured by A & B Industries which sell bronze lighting fixtures. A & B Industries does not sell direct to the public and they referred me to Sarah at Marine Mail Order, TX 888/228-6758.

The catalog numbers from smaller to larger portlights are 133509 and 133709.

Delivery from Marine Mail Order was quick, but the screens were to large to fit my portlights. Therefore the search continues.

Hope the above helps.

[T37Chef]

The screens on our Tartan 37 are from Beckson.

After learning what the cost of Beckson replacement screen would cost...$18.00 each, I did it myself, using the old frames. It was so easy, but I am not familiar with yours, but what I did...

• Purchased screen material & glue from hardware store
• Removed the rubber gasket from the port which exposed the plastic frame for the screen.
• Removed the screen, cleaned the frame.
• Glued screen material to the top only of each frame and let it dry.
• Then stretched the screen to the opposite side and clamped and glued
• Repeated on the remaining two sides.

Looks great, just like the replacement screen, at a cost of about $10.00 total