Wooden Portlights in WB#215

[HarryH]

I am much intrigued by Giffy Full's article with accompaning drawings i.e. "A Practical Portlight", in the latest Wooden Boat issue. According to Mr. Giffy, L. Frances Herreshoff designed a version of these, and two recently built Herreshoff ketches employ this type.

I was wondering how my meager budget was going to stand up to the insult of several $300 + bronze jobs for my 23' lobster boat. Perhaps this is a reasonable alternative, preferable (to me at least) to plastic and/or aluminum.

Do any forumites have experience with building, installing, or using these?

One immediate concern is the end grain of the cabin trunk sides exposed as a result of the cutouts. At minimum sealing is a must; what other approach to this problem would work?

Much thanks for your input.

_Harry

http://picasaweb.google.com/Harrible/PogoConstruction#

[peter radclyffe]

ali, grp, teflon, steel, , you could try plastic chopping board material

[SMARTINSEN]

Here is a PDF copy of the idea, from the table of contents for those of you who have not got the new issue.

Mine came yesterday:)

Link (http://www.woodenboat.com/wbmag/pdfs/WB215_July10_toc.pdf)

[Dale Genther]

A few of my friends who own Chesapeake Bay Buyboats have this type of portlight on their boats. They seem to work just fine. I've never built one myself.

[paladin]

That's a very old and very common design for inexpensive offshore cruisers. I have a complete set of drawings making them from lexan so that maximum light flows in and the wedges keep the leaks out. I got the idea for my drawings from an old "fisherman" magazine 40 years ago. I made the new drawings for a booklet that I have been working on for simple designs for expensive problems. They are traditionally called Wiley Ports, and can let air in and spray out or completely sealed from air and water and let light in, using safety glass, or the modern equivalent of Lexan.

[HarryH]

That's a very old and very common design for inexpensive offshore cruisers. I have a complete set of drawings making them from lexan so that maximum light flows in and the wedges keep the leaks out. I got the idea for my drawings from an old "fisherman" magazine 40 years ago. I made the new drawings for a booklet that I have been working on for simple designs for expensive problems. They are traditionally called Wiley Ports, and can let air in and spray out or completely sealed from air and water and let light in, using safety glass, or the modern equivalent of Lexan.

Chuck, did you find the Lexan preferrable to safety glass?....Flexibility allow it to seal better or such? I have been following Google links for the Wiley now that you've named the port; dead-ends abound for drawings or construction info, however. What did you use for gasket material? Did you ever offer your booklet for sale? Still have the drawings? I definitely want to give these a try.

Thanks for all the responses...

_Harry

[k4lmy]

Chuck.. I understand the inside portion.. but... What is your view / design for the exterior? Would like to see your drawings if you still have them.. Oval, or eliptical....

TIA..
Henry

[paladin]

Henry and Harry....yes, I have the drawings for oval and round or whatever ports.....book isn't quite ready for publication but I can scan my drawings if need be. I used the ports on a couple of designs and used automotive safety glass, 2 layers, glued together with optically clear epoxy, the type used to epoxy prescription lenses to scuba masks....lexan would work as well. For gasketing I used double sticky backed tape and a neoprene seal, or a stick on seal like used for refrigerator gaskets, both worked just fine, and after a year or two if one starts coming loose it's cheap and easy enough to strip off and stick on a new one.

[mmd]

In two Herreshoff reproductions I was involved in these type of ports were fitted. The owner said that they were fine for coastal cruising but that they did leak when the boat was pushed hard or in heavy sailing. If you are pretty sure that your boating will be in rather benign conditions, they are a good choice.

There will always be leakage around the glass. Herreshoff dealt with this by making the ledge that the glass sits on into a "gutter" that ran the full length of the cabin trunk and drained via a small tube at the aft (lowest) end. John told me that he never had a drip in the interior of either boat.

[paladin]

I rolled some waxed paper around a large nail, then some epoxy coated glass tape and made a fiberglass "straw", then drilled a hole at each end of the port/frame thru the cabin side and epoxied it in place then cut them off flush and dished out the material around it, filled it with epoxy/microballoons, and they worked as drains...same trick and dry inside.

[Norumbega Boatworks]

Hi, Has anybody built any of these ports recently. I've about researched as best I can, spoke with Giffy. Cherubini model appears to have had weep tubes leading through the cabin sides from the interior trough- as opposed to Giffy's model. I'm about to build some and would appreciate further thinking. Thanks, Will

[rbgarr]

They can also be fitted with wedged screens instead of windows for use in port. Maybe the Giffy Full and other sources mention that.

Meanwhile, and for what it's worth, Wilcox Crittenden offered Wileys (long ago) in smallish aluminum frames with Lexan panes (viewing port about 8" x 4"). Instead of wedges there's a rotating eccentric knob to hold the pane in place against the inside of the cabinside opening. I'll post a few photos of one later.

[rbgarr]

http://i48.tinypic.com/149qxyx.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/2nb8x9g.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/346p7rc.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/9pop3s.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/2daef0h.jpg

[Breakaway]

Harry--what design is that? Did you source plans?

Kevin

[gilberj]

You might look at L.F. Herreshoff's port's/windows in Sensible Cruising Designs in the Chapter for Marco Polo.
I have a simplified version. It is on the aft bulkhead of the dog house. There is a guide top and bottom in which the plexi disk can slide. They are snug enough that it has never moved with healing. There are several drains through the cabin bulkhead should rain or other water get that far. I actually keep it an inch or two open all the time as good ventilation and being on the aft side it will not be affected by driving rain.

[devout]

Hi, Has anybody built any of these ports recently. I've about researched as best I can, spoke with Giffy. Cherubini model appears to have had weep tubes leading through the cabin sides from the interior trough- as opposed to Giffy's model. I'm about to build some and would appreciate further thinking. Thanks, Will

Will, Lawrence Cheek made some for his boat. You might want to send send him a mail and ask how it worked out for him. Here is his website http://lawrencewcheek.com/news/, there is a mail address on there somewhere.

http://lawrencewcheek.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Portlights-from-inside-300x207.jpg

Regards