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Making the right cuts
To bring light and a feeling of greater space aboard Duracell, his ex-Vendée Globe 60-footer, and taste the pleasures of cruising, Matt decided to open portholes in the hull. there are 4 openings on each side, in the forward cabin, saloon and aft watch berths.
Before cutting them, Matt wonders about the alignment of the portholes. There are two possible choices: alignment with the deck edge or with the waterline. While the latter is common in modern boats, the former was more in vogue when Duracell was launched. Matt is moving in this direction. Using a jig set on the live-edge to maintain distance, Matt cuts the portholes without too much difficulty, apart from the Kevlar reinforcements at the bow, which are harder to cut.
Porthole brackets
To ensure that the portholes were watertight, Matt worked with a naval architect to determine how the glazing should be attached. As the foam cores are too soft, Matt cuts the inner skin and removes the foam around the perimeter of the future opening.
He then added a frame made of Coosaboard sheet, a reinforced material already used on the boat, to support the glazing.
After gluing, the frame is laminated to the hull for structural strength. The frame is cut to size once the glazing has been installed.
