Living afloat

The story of the Luxe Motor MS Watergeus and how to convert a Dutch barge into a houseboat

Portholes

This article tells you what you need to know on portholes:

• Getting portholes
• Placing portholes with a tube
• Placing portholes without a tube
• Open & closed portholes
• Portholes seen from the inside

Getting portholes

Depending on your budget or taste you can choose for second hand portholes or buy new ones. You can find second hand portholes on a scrapyard or by a dealer. New portholes can be found on several locations.

There are different type of portholes available

On the Watergeus, I've used second hand portholes from a scrapped dredger end from two scrapped barges. The process is being showed in pictures.

Placing portholes with a tube

This section is illustrated and based on my experience aboard my boat, the Watergeus. I bought these portholes from a friend who salvaged them from a dredger.

Just bought the portholes, need to clean them first

Making the holes with a graining disk. Burning will put to much heat in the metal and bend it.

The holes are made, starting to look nicer

The tubes are in position and welded

The glass has been placed in the portholes.

Everything received a nice coat of paint

Placing portholes without a tube

There is also the option of putting portholes in the den straight away without the use of a tube. Therefore, only a hole needs to be grained and a few holes drilled for the bolts.

Drilling the holes for the portholes

Closed & open portholes

Closed portholes are cheaper, but they can't be opened, what is not as nice. You can't have fresh air through them. What is often done is a combination of open and closed portholes.

One big porthole that can open and several closed one's

Portholes seen from the inside

Portholes boxed in aboard the house boat museum Hendrika Maria in Amsterdam