New Found Metals

Does anyone have experience with New Found Metals opening ports?

Here is the link to installing them. http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/nfm_port_lights

I had them in my hand at a trade show once. The one I saw were welded SS and cromed. They have a new friction hinge that is suppose to keep the 'opening' part from slamming to the closed position instead of the spring that I saw. They are to small or to big for our boat. I designed my own, still working on hinge to dampen the movement. ml

I've had them in my hands at the Boatshow, almost pulled the trigger but my ports are still working. I helped a friend install 7 of them in a Hatteras pretty much the same way as shown in that link. The install was pretty straightforward if not time consuming. NFM appears to be a very high quality product as a moderate price. Its almost laughable what some of the major suppliers ask for a coastal grade port compared to the bulletproof NFM. SS beats aluminum every time. RT

I've had them on my 38 for about 4 years. Easier to use and prettier than the originals, plus glass windows so you can actually see out of them. The screens aren't that easy to use, and if I had it to do over, I'd get the ones they sell for a slanted cabin wall.

Don Wigle
Wiggle Room
E 38 #8
Pt. Richmond, CA

http://www.wbryant.com/StellaBoat/Projects/windows/index.htm

Nice link with good close up photos of the install procedure.

LB

Thanks everyone...ordered them!

We are ending our fifth year with the NFM stainless ports. They have exceeded my obscenely high standards in every regard, well, except for the screens. They look as good today as the day we installed them and have never once leaked a single drop into our boat. On our boat, not an Ericson, they added huge $$$$$$$$$ curb appeal. We get more people asking us what our boat is and telling us how beautiful she is with the NFM's than we ever did with the POS Beckson's..

BEFORE NFM:


AFTER NFM:


If you wipe the window gaskets frequently with 303 Aerospace Protectant the rubber will likely last indefinitely. Every time I open ours I wipe them with 303 before closing them, takes all of 2 minutes or less. The gaskets have NEVER once stuck to the SS and literally fly open if your not careful.

The company can be slightly "flaky" during the ordering process, though perhaps that is better today than 5 years ago, but the product is literally bomb proof....

We love ours !

Our installations aren't as perfect as Mainsail's but they turn heads wherever we go.

The screens are a real pain and we've taken ours out until we absolutely have to use them. On a non-vertical cabin face installation water will accumulate behind the screen so you can't open the port or you get drenched and you can't get the water out without opening the port since it is behind the screen, unless you somehow blew it out.

We're still dealing with some mystery leaks but that isn't the port leaking, it is somewhere in the cut-out or maybe somewhere else altogether. Three butyl applications later we still get leaks occasionally :-(

But, dollar for dollar I think the NFM ports are the best cosmetic upgrade we've made and we can see out



-Sven

Thanks Sven and Maine Sail! I have ordered two opening ports from NFM...

I ordered three of the plastic/SS oval ports for my 30+ and like them, but as mentioned, the screens can be a pain and fall out when the ports are open. The ports will not seal without the screens in place unless you adjust the closing hinge and dogs. Also, the plastic ports have plastic lenses which craze over time. For the price they are fine