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I've made port covers using the cheap wall surfacing fiberglass sheet you can buy at the Despot or Lowes for about $26.00. Patterned on the 'show' side and fairly smooth on the other. Lest this sounds excessively wasteful, I used about half the sheet for a shower ceiling in the house. It's the stuff I've mentioned before for overheads in boats.
Anyway, the covers are carefully fitted to the port frames and the issue now is to figure out the laziest, easiest, most-bestest way to hold them in the openings. The method should not show when the ports are uncovered and should not take up much space with the covers stacked in a locker. And the method should be neat-looking with the cover in place.
One of the five identical small ports. A sixth is a bit smaller for the operable head port.
When I first read your post all I could think was "why?" - but I'm guessing you use them to keep the sun (and therefore heat) out while the boat is on the mooring and you're not?
Regardless - if the fasteners have to be only on the covers and not on the deadlight frames, the only thing I can come up with is a few cams. You'd have to get some kind of fulcrum attached to the cover, so either pop a screw through or glue something to the surface, and put elipses on each of them which you can twist around to press against the frame. For positive locking you'd need to make a place on the deadlight frame to accept the cam - if you're just looking for something marginally better than a friction fit you can just press them in place.
Now that I've written that I've had two more thoughts: 1) the cams will get loose over time and stop pressing against the frame; and 2) if you just stuck a bit of rubber band against the deadlight frame before pressing in the cover it would likely do the job just as well, or better, and would take no time at all to rig up. Or replace when the rubber band got too old.
If you're looking to have these stay in while you're out for a good romp, that's a whole other story. I actually want to wait to hear the "why", and maybe the "when", before pondering any further anyway!
Chris, indeed the port covers are for sun control. At the mooring, when we're off, they'll keep the boat cooler and will slow sun damage to the interior. The original deep red of the Makore is now a mundane tan. When we're aboard, they definitely keep the boat cooler and we use only the sunward ones. The cook particularly appreciates the reduction of solar heating. An afternoon nap is enhanced by shade. If we're clever, we install those on the morning sun side and sleep in! We also have Sunbrella covers, simply snapped on, over the two plexiglas hatches and we never take then off.
We divined the usefulness of sun covers by clothespinning towels over the ports from the outside. Interior curtains would do much the same thing.
Zach, a dit of the double-stick velco would work. I have some and will experiment.
The covers fit so neatly (pat-pat-pat) that a little encouragement is required to pull them out, that is, if you're looking. If you're not looking they drop out and bonk you on the head or bang up the woodwork!
Thus, a tag, like a ribbon would be useful pulling 'em out. And a dit of Velco or a neat little spring cam or maybe simply pins at the top, stuck into the port frame,s would do.
I know I'm not really answering your question directly, but along the same lines, Charlie J (inactive forum member who's out cruising) and his partner use "static cling vinyl film" on their ports for similar purposes (sun/light/privacy control), and I think it's pretty slick. It's white, and just "clings" to the port glass so there is nothing needed to hold it on. You just cut it to shape, and there you have it. It can be removed and replaced any number of times (they often move theirs from port to starboard/etc.).
They got theirs from a friend who makes vinyl signs and lettering, but I imagine it's available other places too.
Rachel
PS: I'd been meaning to search it out for myself, so I just Googled, and I think it's something like this:
