Quality of Beckson Portlight?

[Wade]

Can anyone attest to the quality of the Beckson Portlight? It will be them or NFM bronze. I can live with Becksons if they are good. But for what everyone else wants you to shell out I will get exactly what I want.       Wade

[CharlieJ]

Beckson's are pretty much the standard in plastic portlights. I've used them  in several boats I built, and they are still doing fine.

[Sunset]

I agree with Charlie, but I wouldn't trust them in a knock down in heavy weather. The little lexan tabs just don't look that strong to me.
Also when I walk the marina's I very seldom see them installed right. Or I should say the way Beckson recommends.
I used 5 of them on my Belhaven 19, they never leaked or did I ever have any problems with them.

[rorik]

FWIW, I just don't feel right having plastic of any kind trying to keep the water out...... Not the Lexan companionway hatch the prior owner of my boat made, not Forespar's Marelon through hulls, not Vetus' mufflers, not SeaDog dorade vents..... and not Beckson portlights.
Of course, I am not going to say a word about owning a boat made, essentially, out of frozen snot.   ;D

[s/v Faith]

Is bronze stronger then plastic?  Well, of course.  We do not sail bronze boats though....

  Beckon ports were used on many a production boats, and as far as I can tell they seem to resist cosmetic Uv damage for 20 years or so....   Pretty acceptable life.  I like to consider these purchases in the context of the ship....   Will the extra money you would spend on the bronze ports be better spent elsewhere?

  I can buy a lot of chain for an anchor for the difference in price....   That said, I do believe in spending money for the boat.... And I Love bronze.   

[CharlieJ]

And then of course there's this question-

How many of us are gonna sail in seas, and areas where the strength difference is THAT important? Very very few will ever see the boat tested to the extent that Bronze (or whatever) is THAT important.

Dream all we want, an extremely small percentage  are gonna round Cape Horn, or sail trans Atlantic. And the vast majority of us , realistically, will never BE in conditions that might cause a knockdown.

My plastic ports in Necessity (take outs from an old Tartan 37) will stand up to anything I'm gonna want to be out in.

The vast majority of us are gonna do our "Long Distance", along the coast, or Bahamas, like I've done, and S/v Faith has done. Most of us will never cross an ocean. I mean, look at the members here.  ONE- James Baldwin, has sailed around, open ocean for prolonged times. And a few of us have made longer open sea passages, but not many.

Of course, I agree on the thru hulls- so I took them ALL out and glassed over the holes- on BOTH boats ;D

Edited to add-

By the way- this post is not intended to wet blanket any dreams- rather to get to this point-


Don't waste time, money  and effort putting together a Cape Horner, If what you'll REALLY be doing is coasting the US and Bahamas- absolutely nothing wrong with being a coast wise sailor, and MUCH pleasure to be had. Many dream of crossing oceans- few do it.

[Sunset]

All true Charlie, I for one will never cross oceans or round the horn. I'll never intentionally go out in bad stuff, but some times things just happen. Whether by bad judgement or what ever.  ;D Besides the metal ones are so much nicer looking. ;D

Also you get to polish them all the time. ;)

[CharlieJ]

Also you get to polish them all the time. ;)

Nah- LOTS of bronze on Tehani- ya just let it get that "patina" :D Turns a lovely brown.

[Captain Smollett]

ONE- James Baldwin, has sailed around, open ocean for prolonged times. And a few of us have made longer open sea passages, but not many.

Charlie, this does not take away from your point, but there are quite a few sailfar members that have crossed oceans, more than what I'd call "open sea passages."  Kirk Little, for example, is nearing completion of his circumnavigation, Nick's trips, and of course, Eric's multiple passages to Hawaii. Greg D. and Auspicious Dave also come to mind.

There are quite a few others, and I feel a bit guilty to not specifically mention them all.  They may not post often, or even lurk all that often, but they are here (or were at one time) and have offered various bits of advice along the way.

I think part of SailFar's premise is to focus on "The Dream" and pursue it.  It's the pursuit that is important, not attaining it.  So, if one dreams of crossing an ocean or circumnavigating and the path leads along a boat preparation strategy geared toward accomplishing that goal, resigning to 'coastal cruising' cannot and should not diminish that dream.

What I'm trying to say is that if someone is trying to prep their boat for the worst Cape Horn has to offer, I say go for it.  If they never go to Cape Horn is immaterial; that does not take away from the capability built into the boat nor the experience of making her thus capable.

But, that said, everything on a boat is a trade-off.  We each must choose what and how to trade-off.  If I find my desire to cross an ocean waning and wish to build my boat to another spec, that's cool.  But just because I may never actually cross an ocean does not, in my mind, mean I should not "pursue" that in the construction of my vessel.

My point is more philosophical than practical.  I'm just saying "the journey's the thing," not just in sailing somewhere, but also in building/prepping a boat.

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

My last large stinkpot had 2 plastic opening ports below the rub rail in the forward cabin. We didn't baby this boat & spent some serious time out there fishing in stuff that now as I think back about it, I was crazy.

The port lights never leaked & we never had a mishap. Point being if I didn't break them plowing into seas at 20 knots, I don't think taking water over the bow of a sailboat or a knockdown is going to compromise a plastic port light. Now the large fixed salon windows, that's another story.

[Wade]

Thanks for the insight. It's true my old girl is a bit of a sow's ear and long in the tooth as well. But she is my home and while she is no longer in harms way it is possible she will get to the Bahama's again or across the Gulf sometime. She was in rough shape when I got her and has come a long way. If I ever sell her it will be to get a larger boat, maybe a 36 footer or so. I paid very little up front for the boat and don't mind putting it back into her. For my small dreams the Beckson's sound fine. But I know seeing those bronze portlights with the patina (no polishing for me). Would make a buyer's mouth water and look gorgeous in the lamplight. I just started working offshore so money will not be too scarce I hope. I will post picks when done.  Thanks,   Wade

[SalientAngle]

one of the reasons I really like this site is the philosophical bent on all subjects; makes me think and feel young... it is a Pirsig-like zen-and-the-art-of commentary... very refreshing...

[CharlieJ]

Sow's ear?? You should have seen Tehani  when I got her

[rorik]

Sow's ear?? You should have seen Tehani  when I got her

Yeah, but that buffed right out, didn't it?   ;D



"I think part of SailFar's premise is to focus on "The Dream" and pursue it.  It's the pursuit that is important, not attaining it.  So, if one dreams of crossing an ocean or circumnavigating and the path leads along a boat preparation strategy geared toward accomplishing that goal, resigning to 'coastal cruising' cannot and should not diminish that dream.

What I'm trying to say is that if someone is trying to prep their boat for the worst Cape Horn has to offer, I say go for it.  If they never go to Cape Horn is immaterial; that does not take away from the capability built into the boat nor the experience of making her thus capable.

But, that said, everything on a boat is a trade-off.  We each must choose what and how to trade-off.  If I find my desire to cross an ocean waning and wish to build my boat to another spec, that's cool.  But just because I may never actually cross an ocean does not, in my mind, mean I should not "pursue" that in the construction of my vessel.

My point is more philosophical than practical.  I'm just saying "the journey's the thing," not just in sailing somewhere, but also in building/prepping a boat."


....this....  ;)