Ok. I've come to the unfortunate conclusion that I'm going to have to put in inspection ports into my 1960's sunfish. I will have to probably apply 3 to get all of the backing needed to put all of the hardware on and secure. My question now is if the inspection ports are flat how do you apply them to a deck of a sunfish that has a curve to it? Do they make special inspection ports for sunfish?
The trick is for the curved areas that you will probably want to access, like the back of the cockpit wall and maybe the aft deck, you will want to use smaller ports like the four-inch or even three-inch Dicksons. The Dickson-type rims are pretty sturdy and won't tend to bend like some more flimsy ones. The holes for those smaller size ports are plenty big enough to work with for adding reinforcement or even doing a rudder conversion. Just do the work after you cut the hole but before you install the port. For flatter areas and where you feel you need better access you can go with a larger size.
Here is an example of a '60's Sunfish with three ports, the two rear ones just for access for the rudder conversion and installing a reinforced hiking strap. The forward port is larger, in this example. The advantage to the three ports is that, as in this example, you get excellent ventilation (and a shot at restoring your '60's boat back to its typical 120 pound original weight), plus you can reinforce pretty much everything that you want.
Note that the cockpit port in this example is mounted high on the wall - always a good idea for in-cockpit installations for those times when you end up with some water sloshing in the cockpit and can't get it bailed right away.
Here are some pictures of that '60's example:
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I was joking just last week with someone with a 150-pound hull that this boat, which I was pointing out on the racks as an example in a similar port discussion, looked like Swiss cheese. But it's back to its under-120 pound original weight (we can see from the photo that the interior foam looks almost brand new), so there's nothing really unfortunate about them.
But the key to your concerns is sticking with smaller ports where possible. And as always, consider using at least one clear plastic cockpit cover that you can see (fogging on the plastic indicates moisture inside, without having to actually check).
I haven't used them personally, but this place is recommended often here:What are some of the better sites to get inspection ports from when it comes to quality and making sure you've got all the pieces you need? I've looked at Sunfish Direct, Intensity Sails, and Sound Boat Works (Viking & other ports) for starters. There was another one, but I can't remember the name.
Apple will keep them busy for awhile, so West Marine should be safe.Either they struck a private label deal with Beckson, which I assume is the case, or some patent folks are going to be busy.
It's time to make a spreadsheet of parts & materials with prices and shipping from around the web!