Sailing Umavideo
Cutting 10 Huge Holes in a Perfectly Good Hull… Are we crazy? | Step 446
June 28, 2025 · 19 min · 113K views
What this video covers
The crew of the sailboat Uma installs 10 new Lewmar Atlantic and Ocean series portlights and hatches to replace leaking units and improve cabin lighting. To prevent future water intrusion into the deck’s balsa core, the team cuts the openings, grinds back the core material around each perimeter, and seals the exposed edges with epoxy. They fabricate a custom router template to ensure consistent, precise cutouts for the various portlight sizes. By opting for three smaller portlights per side instead of one large unit, they reduce the risk of leaks caused by hull flex. The installation process involves drilling pilot holes, using a jigsaw and saber saw for the initial cuts, and finishing with a router. After glassing, grinding, and priming the edges, the deck is prepared for final fairing and painting. This project minimizes the number of deck penetrations, consolidating potential leak points to improve long-term structural integrity.
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