Inspection Port Locations

acs026

acs026

Member
I am needing to install 3 inspection ports on my 1962 sunfish to do repairs and new rudder assembly replacement. I am doing one in the bow one behind splash rail and one in the back. Are there specific places as far as measurements that I need to go by to place the ports? Just wanting to know I am not going to hit anything I dont want to. Or cut a hole right over a lot of foam that I need in the boat.

Thanks
Alex

:)
 
I hope to God someone answers this question - Its a good one, and hey, I'm curious to know and pass on. I'm more curious to know if these locations change year to year. Sorry i can't be of help.
 
me too..........

I need guidance to the placement of said ports- I've seen a boatload of SF with ports but sometimes it is better to have an exact measurement - say- six inches from stern and six from centerline, yadda, yadda..........

I could go and measure the others at the club but, hey, who knows if they did not screw up..............

Scott
 
Key Resources for Sunfish –

The Search function in this forum – a sampling of results for Inspection Port

http://www.sunfishforum.com/inspection-ports-deck-plates-t3221.html?t=3221&highlight=foam
http://www.sunfishforum.com/help-aft-deck-port-t3814.html

The Sunfish Class ( http://www.sunfishclass.org ) Lots of links to other sites with tips.

Wind Line Sales HOW TO page ( http://www.windline.net/how_to.htm ) Here’s where you can get port install instructions.

Yahoo Groups Sunfish Sailors ( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sunfish_sailor ) Another help group with a library of information and more owners to share their experiences.

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But it all comes down to the moron that just had a liquid lunch before tossing the blocks in your hull. They don't use a template to locate them, so it's not uncommon to hit a block where everyone else swears there isn't one.
We just sigh and cut away the block enough to make room for what ever we have to do.
 
It sure ain't rocket science - ----------;)

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This past weekend a friend and I installed six-inch ports on three Sunfish. On each boat we installed one midway between the bow end of the daggerboard trunk and the splash rail. The only type of foam we hit there was the inch thick foam injected to attach the floatation blocks. Using a utility knife we cut away a few inch thick stray chunks of foam to allow for the attachment bolts for the inspection ports. Along with those ports we bought "fat bags". These are nylon bags with a ring attached to the open end, allowing them to hang from the inside of the port. They make a handy storage location, although they aren't waterproof. The bags lift out to allow access to the inside of the hull. One boat was totally dry, but the other two had water-logged foam. The six-inch port allows access to most areas in the middle of the boat.

We also installed six-inch ports at the aft end of the boats, centered about nine inches from the transom trim. For post 1972 boats remember there is a storage compartment behind the cockpit. Don't cut through it. We didn't come close with our holes. These were post 1972 year boats with the modern rudder. Once the fiberglass was cut with a jigsaw (fresh metal cutting blade) we found that the cut circle needed to be cut into pie shapes to allow removal. The adhesive foam attaching the floatation blocks covered the inside of the hole. Once it was cut up we could pry the pieces out with a screw driver. Under the front end of the hole you'll find a white floatation block. Each boat had about four inches of the white 4-5 inch wide blocks visible under the cut-out hole. We had to cut away some foam to allow access to the bolts used to attach the port. Along the rim of the hole you'll also need to cut away an inch or so of foam attached to the underside of the deck. The rudder gudgeon attachment is visible through the hole. It appears to be a metal plate fiberglassed to the inside of the hull. We installed these rear ports to allow ventilation to dry out the foam blocks inside the hull. They were all wet from being exposed to water in the hull for many years. We plan on leaving them stored deck down for the winter with window screen taped over the open ports to keep out critters. We're still investigating the leak locations, our best guess is the dagger board trunk.

We bought the Victor ports and bags from Annapolis Performance Sailing, apsltd.com. They were attached with stainless steel bolts using nyloc nuts and flat washers. We used 3M 4200 adhesive marine sealant under the rim of each port, on top of the washers (inside the hull) and around the head of the bolt. It's REALLY sticky stuff and works very well. Don't use the 3M 5200 since it's a permanent seal and can never be removed if a port is broken. The 4200 can be removed if needed. We bought it in a caulking gun tube size. (1/10 gallon) We installed five ports and had about a third of the tube left. Once it's open they say you should use it before 24 hours are up. It's quick curing. We used lacquer thinner to clean up our hands and tools. If your boat has a good coat of wax the caulk will wipe up easily. Remember to sand the hull around the cut-out hole to allow the caulk to stick.

We bought white ports with clear tops. These allow a view to the inside. If your boat has a wet inner hull you'll see the condensation appear on the inner side of the port cover. These ports seem very strong. They seal with a white o-ring just below the rim. It's captured in a slot, and it doesn't look like it will come out easily. Just to be sure we bought some extra o-rings for future use. The ports were a little less than $12 each. The storage bags were $25.56 each.

The port in front of the dagger board slot is really worth having, even if your boat needs no internal repairs. It gives a clear view all the way to the bow. Use a digital camera and flash to take internal photos. We used a mirror to inspect things, but the camera would do a better job. I'd hesitate to put more ports in unless you really need them for repairs. The ports look strong, but there's no sense in putting more holes in your boat than you need.

The ports are also available in four and five inch sizes. (and possibly larger) We decided the six-inch would give us the best access, although the five inch would probably be just fine. If you have repairs to do, do them after cutting the hole but before you install the port. It'll give you a little more room. Good luck!
 
Thanks for all the responses....So basically I am just going to start cutting holes and hope I miss something :)
 
The Wind Line and Sunfish Sailors links both have diegrams of the approximate placement. If I recall correctly a couple are actual manufacturer repair guides. And yes it's variable since the attachment foam is the expanding type and where it overflows is different with each boat as Mike explained in his review. Should you be haphazard - no, will you run into some foam - good chance it's unavoidable, is this a problem - usually not.
 
Thanks I had found the diagrams for the ports, just didn't know if there was a more acurate way to do it. Trust me I wasn't just going to randomly start putting holes in :D . Not planning on drilling holes around the mast or anything. After I cut these and look at more of my damage I am sure I will have more questions. Especially when it comes to repairing a crack I have in the side.
 
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