PortSide NewYork posted this question (as Mary Whalen) September 19, 2025:

Tug n tanker old timers, what are these old porthole inserts (screen with bonnet) called? They keep out hot sun and rain dripping down the tumblehome and make for new, fun shape for my series of porthole photos. We'd love to find more! 

Here are the replies:

Steve Bernhard
You know, back in the day before we got AC, I used these all the time. There were many porthole screens aboard but not many of them had the visor, so when you found one you grabbed it for your room. In those days, I didn't really think of what to call them except a screen with a visor, but I believe they are either port visors or eyebrow awnings. Not only did they keep out the rain when you had the visor on the top, but you could turn it in the direction of the wind and it acted like a scoop to draw the breeze into your cabin. Don't forget about the little brass drip pans that were fastened beneath the porthole to catch any drips.

Mary A Whalen
Steve Bernhard you never fail to deliver! thanks! When are you going to come visit and walk this boat with us and explain on site? yes! the wind scoop factor! We dont have AC anywhere but the galley so we want more of these. Where to get? Have you got a photo of the brass drip pans? or can you make a doodle of how they were rigged? We have heard of them. One porthole has what I'll call a tongue of metal protruding from underneath the Monel porthole surround by about an inch that angles inboard. I've presumed that was to steer dribbles but to what and where. Will photo later. Writing marketing proposal now...

Steve Bernhard
That tab is for pulling the screen into the cabin. It has nothing to do with the drips. I'll look through some old pictures to see if I can find any of the drip pans, if not I'll try to draw you something. Another thing we had back in the day was talented people who could make these things. We had all kinds of stuff made out of wood and sheet-metal. Wait till I tell you about Fred Flintstone's rollerskates.Today it's buy buy buy.

Ian Danic
Can you turn them so they scoop up air and bring it into cabin while underway (in theory not in practice for Mary A Whalen) A former crewman of SS Columbia said SS Columbia used to have scoops for air on porthole. I wonder if these are similar scoops?

Mary A Whalen
Yes, Ian Danic they also can serve as wind scoops. See Steve Bernhard's first comment; and yes, scoop effect still applies to the Mary A Whalen at the dock because we would like to direct the breeze in on a hot day. Let's figure out if some place still makes these.

Mary A Whalen
Steve Bernhard the tab I am talking about I dont think is for pulling the screen into the cabin, it is anchored underneath the rectangular porthole surrrounds.

Mary A Whalen
Ian Danic, I've heard that simple windscoop numbers were made from old lube oil cans... what I like about this one device we have is that it has a screen, it has a screw to secure it inside the porthole (though this one is a tad too big for our portholes) and it has the visor which can we used against rain and sun and for a wind scoop. Handy dandy item!

Steve Bernhard
OK, I thought you meant the tab was on the screen itself. If you're talking about that piece under the frame, I have not seen that before but it looks like it would direct the water away from the wall. It was important to keep the water out of the wall. All those old tankers rotted inside the wall and the water would travel under the concrete floors.

Mary A Whalen
That's what I figured it was Steve Bernhard, but it failed to do the job in the one cabin where we find it, the Assistant Engineer's cabin. In this one the cement floor is out and there is a plywood floor. If one looks at the accommodations level from the outside, there are lots of doublers under the portholes were decades of dripping did their evil work.

Mary A Whalen
PS, WHAT exactly is this cement? It is red. someone told me it was an old product with some rubber in it to make it less hard on the feet. It is missing in 3 cabins (Tankerman's, Asst Eng, Mate's cabin which is now forward half of the main office space). Replacing it is not top of the list to do, but we want to know...Putting radiant heating lines in any replacement cement floor strikes me as an idea to explore...

Steve Bernhard
I don't know what they call it exactly, but I could probably find out. It's a brick red powder that they mix with a milky liquid which I believe has latex in it. You don't mix it loose like cement, you mix it very dry and it gets pounded into place. Since the deck on the boat is never level, liquid cement would slide before it dries. This stays in place while it hardens. I don't think it had rubber in it because it was hard as a rock but I believe the latex kept it from cracking with all the flexing and vibration.