V-Berth Opening Port @ A Good Price

S

Sea Skipper

Member
Beckson offers a limited range of overrun items direct to the consumer on their web site at a substantial discount. Several weeks ago I ordered a pair of their smallest Opening Ports, part # PO310-SS-10, Silver~gray with smoke lens and bug screen for $40.00 each + $9.47 shipping.

http://www.beckson.com/Merchant2/me...tore_Code=B&Product_Code=518&Category_Code=OR

Fisheries Supply offers the same port in white~clear lens for $84.58 (List $99.50) The ports arrived yesterday morning, and with a good weather forecast for the next several days (snow due again this weekend) they were installed. These ports are ideal for the CD-25's V-berth and probably for the CD-22 as well?? A few preliminary pictures taken during installation (no glazing) are posted in the Sea Skipper album. Beckson indicated that they had several hundred available in this size. The 1" spigot length is correct and was trimmed back about 5/16". Trimming the spigot is the most difficult part of the installation and is not strictly necessary. Installation instructions are posted on Beckson's web site.

http://www.beckson.com/installport.html
 
Those things are great, and at a really great price. Gonna take a look at the 16 tonight, maybe they will fit it too. :smiled
 
I wonder if there is a large enough flat area in that section over the V. I was looking
at this the other night, and the area looks too rounded to accept an opening
porthole. Thoughts? I have an '02 CD-22.

Mike
 
I'm in the middle of moving so I can't go down to my boat would these portholes be ok for the c-22 if so what a good price I'll have to go down and measure next month after Christmas unless some one has access to their boat can tell me if it will fit. thanks Because of moving and relocating We cancelled our c-25 order .Hopefully be able to pick one up next year or so . We still have the Duck and it is still for sale
 
mikeporterinmd":ex6ju7qs said:
I wonder if there is a large enough flat area in that section over the V. I was looking
at this the other night, and the area looks too rounded to accept an opening
porthole. Thoughts? I have an '02 CD-22.

Mike
Click to expand...

I've looked at mine which is considerably more rounded up in that area, no "corners" at all and not flat at all, except vertically. I don't think it'd fit well on a 22. Good price though!

Charlie
 
I don't know if this would be enough, but Beckson can supply these ports with a 2" spigot length that would accommodate a more rounded surface. The internal portion of the port would need to be shimmed as required for a flat fit and the spigot cut on a radius to match the exterior. The trim molding will easily conform to the exterior radius. For Sea Skipper (CD25) the inside was reasonably flat requiring a maximum of 5/16" shim on opposite corners. I would counsel carefully made measurements before ordering & cutting a large very difficult to patch hole in the side of your boat! I seem to recall seeing a picture of a CD22 with a round porthole installed over the V-berth and Red Fox has a rectangular one installed next to the bulkhead.

Beckson's Over Run Inventory includes a bronze colored 3-1/2 x 10 and a larger silver 4-1/2 x 10 which might be too tall?

http://www.beckson.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=B&Category_Code=OR
 
Its been a while since this discussion started, so here is a June 2012 update. Sea Skipper and Meander installed Beckson PO310-SS10 Portholes. I ordered 2 ports of the same type from Beckson and they are still available at a closeout price of $40/each in gray/silver with a 2012 shipping costing $21 for the whole shipment. Installation instructions can be down loaded at the Beckson.com. You can buy the suggested barrel nuts from Beckson at the time you order the port because Beckson sells 0.375 inch length barrel nuts rather than the 0.5 nuts that I bought at West Marine. With the 0.5 inch nuts, I had to surface mount the nuts drilling through the trim cover plate using the cover plate's thickness to allow complete tightening of the port in a 3/8 inch thick solid fiberglass cabin side.

Initially, I was concerned about the exterior cabin wall curvature, but in reality the flexible trim cover can follow that curve. It is the flattest part of the internal cabin wall that you want, so the port and its gasket will not bow/bend. For me the flattest section of the interior wall was the aft half, so I made the aft part of my cutout 8 inches from the center of the navigational side light of my 2006 C-Dory 25. See pictures posted at Miss Curious.

Alternative, many C-Dory 22 used Vetus PM21 port which is shorter fore-aft that the Beckson that I used. Vetus does make a port that is longer than the PM21 with the same vertical dimension as the PM21. Photos of the 22's with Vetus seem to have the bolt heads covered by the trim cover plate that might provide a better seal in the long run. However, I accepted this possible trade off because the Vetus with screen is almost 5 times more expensive than the Beckson that included insect screens.
 
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