Sailboats USA 🇺🇸

Types of Portlights

• Fixed portlights — do not open; typically bronze, aluminum, or plastic frame with acrylic or glass lens. Common on older boats (1970s–80s production sailboats). Simpler to rebed; less common leak points.
• Opening portlights — hinged or pivoting; allow ventilation. More complex, more potential leak points (frame, hinge, dogs/latches, seal). Most common failure on production sailboats.
• Flush portlights — lens set flush with the cabin side; modern style; typically plastic frame with acrylic lens.
• Bronze portlights — found on older quality boats; heavy, beautiful, long-lasting if maintained. Replacement lenses (flat glass or acrylic) often still available.

Diagnosing a Leaking Portlight

• Leaks at the frame-to-hull joint — failed bedding compound between the portlight frame and the cabin side. Most common. Fix: remove, clean, rebed with 3M 4200 or Sikaflex 291.
• Leaks at the lens — failed seal between the lens and the frame. Fix: remove lens, replace seal or apply new sealant, reinstall.
• Leaks at the hinge or dogs — worn seals or bent frame. Fix: replace rubber seal/gasket; check frame alignment.
• Cracked or crazed lens — acrylic crazes from UV and cleaning solvents (never use acetone on acrylic). Replace the lens — not just the sealant.

Rebedding a Portlight — Process

• Remove all screws and carefully pry the frame away from the cabin side
• Clean all old sealant from frame and cabin side — mechanical removal first, then acetone wipe-down
• Inspect the frame for cracks, corrosion, or deformation. Inspect the lens for crazing or cracks.
• Apply 3M 4200 or Sikaflex 291 to the flange of the portlight frame
• Press into position; snug fasteners evenly; remove squeeze-out while wet
• Allow full cure before testing with a hose (24–48 hrs for 4200; 72 hrs for Sikaflex 291)
• BoatUS — Portlight Replacement Guide

Portlight Manufacturers & Suppliers

General Portlight Retailers

• Great Lakes Skipper — large inventory of Bomar, Lewmar, Gebo, Taylor Made and others; good for finding discontinued parts
• Go2Marine — opening and fixed portlights, multiple brands
• Defender — Portlights
• West Marine — Portlights
• Harbor Shoppers — Marine Windows

Lens Replacement — Acrylic & Polycarbonate

• Select Plastics — custom-cut acrylic and polycarbonate replacement lenses; the largest marine hatch repair facility in the world
• IBS Plexiglass — marine hatch and portlight lens repair and replacement
• TAP Plastics (West Coast) — cut-to-order acrylic sheet; bring your old lens as a template
• Never use acetone, MEK, or lacquer thinner on acrylic lenses — they cause immediate crazing. Clean with mild soap and water or Plexus plastic cleaner only.

Types of Hatches

• Acrylic-lens hatches — most common on production sailboats; aluminum frame with acrylic dome or flat lens. Lewmar, Bomar, and Vetus are the dominant brands.
• Aluminum frame hatches — heavier, more durable; found on offshore and bluewater boats.
• Flush deck hatches — low-profile; used for anchor lockers, cockpit storage, lazarettes.
• Companionway hatches — sliding or hinged; the main entry; subject to the heaviest use and most common point of water intrusion.

Common Hatch Problems & Fixes

• Leaking at the frame — failed bedding between hatch frame and deck. Rebed with 3M 4200 or Sikaflex 291. Identical process to portlight rebedding.
• Leaking at the hinge — worn or compressed hinge seal. Order replacement hinge seal from the hatch manufacturer.
• Crazed or cracked acrylic lens — replace lens only; no need to replace the entire hatch. Select Plastics and IBS Plexiglass cut replacements to size.
• Broken latch or dog — Lewmar and Bomar both sell replacement latch hardware. Do not sail offshore with a single working latch.
• UV-degraded rubber gasket — the compression gasket that seals the hatch when closed. Lewmar and Bomar sell replacement gasket by the foot for most models.

Hatch Repair Services

• HatchMasters Marine — hatch repair and leak seal kits; specializes in Lewmar, Bomar, and other brands
• Select Plastics — the largest marine hatch repair facility in the world; repairs Lewmar, Bomar, Hood, Atkins & Hoyle, Vetus, Gebo, Goiot, and many more
• IBS Plexiglass — lens replacement for major brands

Hatch Manufacturers

Hatch Parts Suppliers

• Defender — Hatch Parts — gaskets, lenses, latches for Lewmar, Bomar, Vetus
• Ocean Chandlery — Hatch Spares
• West Marine — Hatches
• Great Lakes Skipper — large inventory including discontinued parts

Ventilation Hatches & Dorades

• Nicro Marine — solar-powered ventilation hatches and dorade boxes
• Forespar — Marelon dorade vents; no electrolysis, lightweight
• Defender — full range of ventilation hardware

How-To Articles

• BoatUS — Portlight Replacement Guide — step-by-step identification and replacement
• Practical Sailor — Sealant Testing — which sealants hold up for portlights and hatches
• Boat Trader — Hatch Gasket Guide
• Sailboat Owners Forum — Replacing Hatch Lens — real owner experiences

YouTube

• Boatworks Today — portlight and hatch rebedding tutorials, excellent technique
• Fitzee's Fabrications — fiberglass and sealant work around portlights
• Fish Bump TV — boat building and repair techniques applicable to hatch and port work
• Search YouTube for your specific portlight brand + "rebed" or "replace" — e.g. "Lewmar portlight rebed" or "Bomar hatch lens replacement"

Identifying Your Portlights

• Measure the rough opening (hole in the hull or cabin side), not the frame outside dimension
• Note the frame material: bronze, aluminum, or plastic
• Check for a mold number or manufacturer mark on the frame — often stamped inside the frame lip
• Photograph the hinge, latch, and overall shape before disassembly
• SailboatData.com — some boat records include original portlight specifications
• Post photos to Cruisers Forum or your model-specific owner forum — experienced owners can identify brand and model from a photo in minutes

Acrylic vs. Polycarbonate Lenses

• Acrylic (Plexiglass) — most common in original portlights and hatches; better UV resistance and optical clarity long-term; easier to polish when scratched; more brittle than polycarbonate
• Polycarbonate (Lexan) — nearly unbreakable; better impact resistance; used in offshore hatches and windshields; yellows faster than acrylic in UV; harder to polish
• For most portlight lens replacements: match the original material. For hatches on offshore boats: polycarbonate is worth the premium.
• Minimum thickness: 3/8" (10mm) for hatches subject to crew weight or wave impact; 1/4" (6mm) acceptable for portlights.