I lost the portal cover for a Boreal Design Narwhal front Portal. Red fibregalss.
It is an odd shape around 14"x13"x10"x13" - squarish pan shape.
It is discontinued by the manufacturer and they do not have any replacement covers.
Does anyone have any suggestions for making a replacement portal cover?
How hard would it be to make a fibreglass one?
Would a plastic be easier without much weight difference?
Would a rubber one be feasible? The current ones are hard shell fibreglass.
The sides of the cover are rounded, the cover extends over the flat lip around the portal and bends down into the gutter around the portal. A gasket runs inside the rounded edge of the portal to reduce water access.
If this was my project, I would order this conversion plate from Topkayaker and cut it to overlay the opening completely, drilling it to attach with stainless steel fasteners with a gasketing material all around. Then cut out a round opening in the center of it and install a round screw-in hatch to gain access to the hatch space (Topkayaker has plenty of those as well.)
Depending on where you live, you might be able to find a shop that custom makes small fiberglass parts, like fenders and fairings for motorcycles and sports cars, who could fabricate a replacement hatch.
1 Like
Thanks willowleaf. Will consider topkayaker hatch patches. I am hoping to avoid drilling and modifications to the Kayak, however I may end up needing to do more and will consider this.
I would try making a cover out of wood. First, make a simple rectangular frame that just fits around the outside of the rim on the kayak. The sides of the frame are straight while the front and back parts are cut on a curve to match the curve of the rim on the kayak. Then glue a thin sheet of plywood (like the okuma plywood used for kit-built kayaks) to the top of the frame. That will give a you a hard cover that matches the curve and can be held down with the existing straps. And if you finish it well, it could look just as good as a fiberglass cover, or you could fiberglass over it. Stick-on weather stripping on the underside of the new cover might be sufficient for a seal.
You could also make a similar shape out of wood to use as a mold to form a fiberglass cover. But I’m not familiar with all of the steps required, such as how to ensure the fiberglass releases from the mold.
1 Like
Thanks for the suggestion. Have wondered if I could make a cover out of wood. Thankfully I have the winter to work on a solution.