Kurt,
Interesting about our cabin ports is that all four are exactly the same dimension,
even reversed. So I'd put together one fullsized thinking model with cardboard and foam and try out those ideas.
Ebb went an entire different way, slabbbing-on the lexan sheet to use the cabin itself instead of framing to take the load of a green one.
Slabbing-on lights is only a good idea until a greeny comes aboard and tears them off. Frameless, the caulking is exposed.
My Bomar deck hatches depend on plain half-round foam gasket cinched under pressure to seal.
Maybe it works with heavy weight cast aluminum frames....but certainly a lot is asked of plain compressed foam.
I'd give any opening and any other foam caulk a cove or seat on both surfaces to squeeze tight into.
Or create right angles to make dams against sudden intrusion. Our tiny forward opening ports are gasketed right.
I did read once, from a source I could believe, that cabin windows are often ignored by seas crashing directly UP into them when the boat is heeled. The cabin in that position can easily flounder.
Which leads me to believe that nearly all openings should be sealable 360°.
I find that paranoia rather interesting!
But it leads me to suppose that huge lexan lights can actually have added opening ports right in the plastic.
Granted it's probably going to be much smaller openings.. when we could use a good breeze inside, but......
The cabin's skinny center divider between ports cannot stand alone. As designed, imco, its floppiness is one fatal flaw for windows leaking.
Has to be taken into account when remodeling.
How thick do traditional weather boards have to be? I think a lot lighter if Meranti ply is used. Can see 3/8" if the panels
are attached/placed in a way that a 60mph slab of water can't get a green fist underneath to yank it off.
Once played with the idea of top-down sliding panels into a ready groove....disguised as a frame...
Also wondered if samoied or sunbrella cloth could somehow be used. Double duty to also protect the lenses from UV when layed back or on a long tack in the Pacific. The cloth against a backup (the plastic light) isn't likely to pop or tear but instead slip the water by.
And also wondered if a drop in wood bar horizontally across the ports INSIDE the cabin will work.
That way nice carpentry prevails outside, and the strong steroid stuff waits to be used only when needed.
The U-shaped strong back holders might do double or triple duty for more mudane things?
I can still see doing this!
In the mid '50s, Miles and Beryl Smeeton, with John Guswell as crew, were attemping to round the Horn in the ketch TzuHang....
when they pitch-poled. When they....came back up.... the deck of the boat had been stripped clean as by a mower. Everything sliced away
including hatches, rudder, masts leveled to the deck, dog-house, compass, dinghy, anchor, cleats.
Just tossing some sticks on the fire...
Can't wait to see what you come up with......
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