#Brass porthole windows#

Portholes range in diameter from several inches to more than two feet, and weigh from several pounds to over one hundred pounds. Older portholes can be identified by the protruding collar of their base plate which may be up to several inches deep, thus accommodating the thickness of a wooden hull.

#Brass porthole windows#

Hinged porthole windows and storm covers are accessible from inside the ship's hull, and are typically fastened to their closed positions by hand tightening several pivoting, threaded devices, commonly referred to as 'dogs'. Storm covers are also used on navy and merchant marine ships to prevent interior light from escaping the ship's lower berths, and to provide protection from hostile fire. The storm cover is referred to as a deadlight in maritime parlance. It is also used to block light from entering lower berths when darkness is preferred. The main purpose of the storm cover is, as its name implies, to protect the window from heavy seas. In addition, many portholes also have metal storm covers that can be securely fastened against the window when necessary. Sometimes the glass disk of a porthole is encased in a separate frame which is hinged onto the base frame so that it can be opened and closed. The porthole is primarily a circular glass disk, known as a 'portlight', encased in a metal frame that is bolted securely into the side of a ship's hull. Rows of portholes on the hull of Swedish HM Pansarskepp Gustaf V with gun Bofors 283 mm (until 1957).Ī porthole consists of at least two structural components and is, in its simplest form, similar to any other type of window in design and purpose. The use of the word 'sidescuttle' instead of 'porthole' is meant to be broad, including any covered or uncovered hole in the side of the vessel. It is also used in related rules and regulations for the construction of ships. When closed, the porthole provides a strong water-tight, weather-tight and sometimes light-tight barrier.Ī porthole on a ship may also be called a sidescuttle or side scuttle (side hole), as officially termed in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. It also affords below-deck occupants a limited view to the outside world. On a ship, the function of a porthole, when open, is to permit light and fresh air to enter the dark and often damp below- deck quarters of the vessel.

Though the term is of maritime origin, it is also used to describe round windows on armored vehicles, aircraft, automobiles (the Ford Thunderbird a notable example) and even spacecraft. Louis look out through the portholes of the ship while docked in the port of HavanaĪ porthole, sometimes called bull's-eye window or bull's-eye, is a generally circular window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air.