[Public-list] Opening Ports

[Michael Connolly]

Dave,
I have not seen the GOB article but my Father had a 1963 Chris Craft power boat that had sliding glass windows in the main salon.  
My thought was to make a double track that would fit into the existing thickness of the coach sides of the Alberg 30 so that two pieces of polycarbonate could be fitted.  The outside piece would be forward (and perhaps fixed) and the inside piece aft with an overlap near the middle of let's say three inches.  To open one would push the aft piece forward.  The pieces would fit close enough together to keep bugs out when closed.
The external frame would/could remain the same, so as not to mess up the original appearances.  If the coach thickness was not great enough for the track it could protrude into the salon a bit and be trimmed out to look good. The trick is coming up with a latch mechanism to attach to the Lexan or if you prefer Acrylic sliding panels to secure them when closed.
On my Fathers boat the glass was 1/4 plate glass and was kept in place only via gravity, there might have been a clip on the track to keep the pair in place when closed, but I don't remember.  These windows leaked a little water in heavy seas, more of a nuisance than anything else. On his boat the freeboard was such that these sliding windows were perhaps were five feet above the water at approx amidships. If the track was fitted with a window lace, like in an automobile, it would cut down on the leakage.
 
A sailboat is a different animal and because of such I present the caution that these Lexan or Acrylic sliding windows are more likely to fail in heavy seas or a knockdown than thicker fixed windows.  The freeboard on an Alberg 30 is such that these windows might only be a foot or so above the water when sailing in heavy air.  You might say that I only sail on inland lakes in good weather so this is not an issue.  Anyone who has been knocked down in a sail boat can tell you that this is indeed an issue.   Perhaps some sort of storm panel could be fashioned and installed when underway to reinforce the sliding window arrangement.  After all you only need the ventilation when at anchor or at port.
 
My second thought would be to fashion an opening port within the expanse of the existing fixed window.  This would appear mighty ugly if one just installed a bronze opening port into the existing Plexiglas window.  But if one were to fashion a new window completely out of Lexan it might be possible to make a central section open and seal properly without looking hideous.
 
This has come up before on this list and I would be interested to hear others thoughts as well.
 
If someone has the article from GOB I would like to have a copy.  Thanks
 
Michael

Dave Terrell <DTERRELL at message.nmc.edu> wrote:
Does anyone have experience or suggestions about replacing the fixed
ports in the salon with opening ports? 

This project started with a desire to fix leaks - of which much has
been said lately - and has grown to the point where if I am going to
take the ports out anyway, I am asking myself," Why not put in opening
ports while I am at it?" I am assuming I will not go broke in the
process.

Any ideas and thoughts would be much appreciated.
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