boat windows

[SScoville]

There was an article on a design for cabin windows in the past year in Wooden Boat. It was of the square type that use two wedges on either side. I think the Redwing uses them. Anyway, I'm looking for the article and cannot find it searching the online index. Does anyone know which issue it was?

[rbgarr]

They are sometimes called Wiley ports.

[SScoville]

Thanks. I found it. Issue 215. I'm considering these for my houseboat. They would be quite large on the forward windows - nearly 2'x4'.

[stromborg]

I haven't used one but from what I've seen, that might be a bit big for a Wiley port. You're really just using wedges to push a piece of lexan/plexi/glass against a frame, at some point you won't exert enough pressure on the middle span to keep it tight.

[Breakaway]

Dave Gerr's book, the Nature Of Boats, has these detailed.

Kevin

[Gary Dierking]

I made Wiley windows for my teardrop camping trailer and they work very well. I glued a wooden stiffener across the top edge of the plexiglass to make sure that it seated against the weather stripping. Mine are only a foot square but I'm sure bigger ones wouldn't be a problem if you stiffen the top edge and use adequately thick plexiglass. http://teardropbygary.blogspot.co.nz/

[SScoville]

Thanks Gary - precisely what I had in mind.

[holzbt]

[Okiebobby]

I realize this thread is six years old, but you don't just post a picture like that without some explanation. Tell us about the stove man.

[Jay Greer]

indeed, tell us about that very nice stove!
Jay

[Sailor]

And the lamp in the corner. Tell us about the lamp in the corner too.

[Plyboy]

I kinda wanna know the duck's name.

[Breakaway]

I kinda wanna know the duck's name.

That's a goose!

Kevin


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[cstevens]

The lamp in the corner is easy - it’s a Weems and Plath Yacht Lamp. Widely available. I have one and like it a lot although the light is more for atmosphere than any practical use.

[Ian McColgin]

Wiley ports are cool, especially as they can be partly open in a rain, but Bahamian ports are cheaper and far more ultimately watertight in a hard chance.

Exterior view.

[Sailor]

How are they kept tight Ian? They look like simple sliding glass there, can't see how that keeps it tight.

[Ian McColgin]

The Bahamian ports admit no water in driving rain and rough seas. Blue water over the bow and no problem. Lived with them for years on Granuaile.

If you've got the ports in the water, the water pressure will push them against the wood. Not a perfect seal but about as good, tests I did showed me, as the average for a conventional two dog port light under water. A dogged port, unlike a wiley port, with a new gasket and properly tightened is almost utterly watertight on the dogged side and half way along the verticals, but will still leak on the hinge side. Here's the deal: If you're upside down, things will be wet but any water coming in around the Bahamian ports is the least of problems.

Edited to add: As the pic shows, the forward edge is housed when the port is shut. In principle, water could be force in from the rear. It never happened but I guess with a boarding sea from astern some water could get in.

On Marmalade, with very light plexi Bahamian ports, I had push screws at the upper forward corners. If I did not tighten those and it was windy, the shaking of the plexi would pull water up from the lower track and create a drip, easily contained by the interior troughs. I've not yet put such screws on Meg because with the thicker Lexan that's not been an issue.

[cluttonfred]

The Bahamian ports admit no water in driving rain and rough seas. Blue water over the bow and no problem. Lived with them for years on Granuaile.

Hmmm, I know this is an older thread, but there seem to be some pics mentioned that are not displayed. I am familiar with Wiley windows, but what are Bahamian ports?

[The Q]

That is the standard window format used on Norfolk Broads sailing and Motorboats for well over a century. They, until very recently, were the standard on Modern glassfibre boats as well.. Never heard of them called Wiley windows though, normally called a hopper window over here.

I've four on my glassfibre motorboat, with aluminum frames. However the builders used steel inserts in the corners and steel screws throughout, so the ally has corroded out and is now leaking.. I'll be making new versions soon..

[cluttonfred]

Anyone have any photos or drawings of DIY vertical sliding windows as you might use in pilothouse? I am thinking the acrylic sliding pane and guide rails would have go on the outside, but I'd love to see some designs or examples. Thanks!

[Rigadog]

Ian, can you repost the pics of Bahamian ports, I can't find an image online. Thanks

[Ian McColgin]

The forward edge when closed will keep out weather from ahead. There's enough overlap that when closed very little water gets in even in the most driving rain from astern, and that little is carried off by a combination gutter hand hold on the inside. Eventually I may add locking screws, as were in Granuaile, but I never needed them there.

[cluttonfred]

Here is a rough sketch of what I had in mind. The lower ends of the slide rails could be finished to match the house sides to make them less noticeable. While I have shown the frame as individual pieces of wood, on second thought I think something like 3/8 plywood in three layers could work well to form the frames and slides as integral pieces with rounded inside corners to the window opening. The handle inside could be made of anything and would serve as the opening stop as well, screwed from the outside perhaps with carriage bolts or tamper proof screws for security. This is just a first draft, I welcome suggestions of other ways to do it.

vertical sliding window.jpg

[stromborg]

Those Bahamian ports remind me of the slider windows for the driver and passenger doors on my old split-window VW bus.

[Rigadog]

Thanks Ian, you may have just saved me a bunch of money! I assume there are little drains in the gutter.

[Ian McColgin]

Yes, the outside gutters have drains fore and aft of where the lexan panes sit when closed. The inside gutter/grab hold each has a drain at the aft end, one over the sink and one over the ice box, so I did not bother to further redirect.

I found with Granuaiie that in certain winds those thin plexi ports tended to chatter and could pump water up from the outside gutter along the cabin/glass space. A little wedge cured that.

Granna had little bolts with wing nuts that threaded into the outer upper guide. This gave security without putting pressure on the class. With the Lexan on Meg, I may eventually make bolts threaded to the Lexan so that they pull the pane against the cabin.

[gray duck]

Can the Bahamian windows be locked?

[cluttonfred]

It seems easy enough to put a pin a hole or a screw in a thread insert (but not all the way through the frame) from the inside to block the window from opening.

Can the Bahamian windows be locked?

[Ian McColgin]

Easiest system is to at the upper forward corner drill from the inside through the cabin side, through the lexan, and just a little way into the outer frame. Tap threads in the hole in the Lexan and make sure the hole in the cabin side is big enough that you're not threading into that You want to size the bolt length such that just as the bolt is emerging from the Lexan the wing nut and locking nut under it are pressing against the inside of the cabin so as you turn the bolt you're pulling the Lexan against the trunk.And there are many many store bought latches.

I use Lexan, which is not cheap, because it's incredibly strong and you can use wood working tools on it. Not like plexiglass which is weak and shatters. It's easy to justify the cost of the Lexan because nothing else in the unit costs anything at all.

[cluttonfred]

Ah, I was thinking you'd put a thread insert into the outer frame and screw into that, leaving the hole in the plastic a little oversize, but your way is better if the goal is also to prevent rattling.

[Seabeau]

I have Wiley Ports on my glass Presto 36. Wiley, a talented industrialist and inventor was a close friend of Herreshoff.

[Okiebobby]

I don't seem to have seen any pics of Bahamian ports? Is it just me. I've seen the Wiley windows pic a couple of times. Per Ian's description, the Bahamian ports sound fascinating and if a pic could be posted - it might help me to comprehend them. Thanks!

[cluttonfred]

There seems to be some sort of photo hosting issue going on. I could swear there were photos in this thread, and I know Ian sent me at least one by PM, but they have disappeared.