I can see (more) clearly now...

Or, "out with the old, in with the new."
I had the good fortune to buy new portholes at a bargain price. The fellow down the dock ordered extra portholes for his boat and had two left over. He sold them to me for the volume discount price that he received.
He's now on this year's Christmas card list.
After talking it over with him and a few other people, I undertook the task of installing them.
It's not as difficult as it would seem to be.
Prying out the old porthole took a bit of doing as they were caulked shut for ten years and the mounting screws had been in place for 40 years.

40 year-old porthole

To get a proper seal, the mounting surfaces must be clean, clean, clean as a friend of mine would say. That requires mineral spirits, towels, and a way to remove the old sealant. Just because the sealant is old doesn't mean it's gonna be easy to take off. I used my Dremel tool set to a medium speed and a wire wheel to remove the old stuff. Be careful to keep moving and don't bear down more than necessary to do the job.

Removing the old sealant

Take your time and be thorough. New sealant won't stick to old sealant so get it all off. Wipe the area with mineral spirits and let dry.
In my case, the new porthole matched almost perfectly with the old. The one adjustment to be made was where the drains fit. Again, out came the Dremel tool. Using a routing bit, I was able to clear out the needed space. Wear safety glasses, and don't breathe the dust. Wipe the whole thing with mineral spirits.

Adjusting for the new drains

I kept test fitting until I had it right. Once the new porthole popped in without resistance, I was ready to drill the new mounting holes.
Using the porthole as the template, I drilled the holes using the appropriate (1/4") drill bit. Use a sharp bit and don't force it. Let the bit do the work. Clean the area using mineral spirits and remove all of the dust.
Drill the trim ring to match the porthole holes. The twist was that the trim ring holes had to be one bit larger (5/8") to accommodate the barrel bolts I was using to sandwich the assembly together. I used the porthole as a template and drilled the holes to the 1/4" size and then separately re-drilled the trim ring to the 5/8" size.
Once done, test fit everything BEFORE opening up the tube of sealant. This way you will escape the trap of getting sealant all over the place and then finding out that one or more of the holes don't line up. Don't ask how I know this. Just trust me.
Now you're ready to get really messy.
For this step I suggest not working in direct sunlight or in the heat of the day. The sealant will skin over quickly, reducing your working time.
Apply a wide bead of sealant to the area around the porthole. Be generous. You want the stuff to squeeze out around the trim ring to indicate full coverage.
Make the assembly and install all of the bolts. Tighten them as needed.
Use a tool to remove the excess sealant from around the trim ring and use mineral spirits to clean the rest of the sealant from the area. The use of mineral spirits will keep the sealant from drying too quickly and when finished, will give a professional finish to the job.

The finished product

Well, then.

I like birds as much as the next guy but this is ridiculous.
The last few weeks have been a bit like a Hitchcock movie. You might say, "Jeff, you weenie, seagulls are a part of the deal," and you would be right. Like other marinas, there is also the local Osprey and some Pelicans.
Where this place departs from normal is the hundreds of blackbirds. They roost on the roof of the nearby restaurant and many of the boats, mine included.

The little buggers are just like seagulls. They steal scraps from the tables of the restaurant and, since they cannot be housebroken, drop said scraps and their leavings on the decks of the boats. Again, mine included.
It is a normal morning to pick up two or three bones from the deck.
What a pain.
Add to that the hundreds of seagulls doing the same thing and I begin to wonder the wisdom of moving here. Also, are the restaurant customers actually getting to eat before the birds make off with the food?
Add to that the pigeons shamelessly making little pigeons right there on the dock. Sheesh!
Spring time in Florida.