Engine Room Access

[worldsaway]

I have a 1989 45C. The layout in the 1989-91 years is slightly different in that the master stateroom has an angled double berth and a private head with stall shower. There is a separte head portside and just fwd of the galley in the companionway. The fwd stateroom has over/under berths on strd side. There was also some exterior styling changes in the form of the salon windows, flybridge windscreen and a solid front windshield. These models have the 535hp 692 with a 2:1 reduction gear which gives you a 20kt cruise at 1925-1950rpm. Outboard engine access in the ER is a bit of a challenge as Genesis mentioned due to A/C units strb and water heater port. I cut access hatches in the salon so you can drop down fwd of those obstacles on the outboard side of the engines. No way to get around the front. I have been extremely pleased with everything about this boat. I have a friend with the 46C and you can't go wrong with either one. Good luck.

 

[Genesis]

You needed to cut hatches?!

My entire floor in my '85 came up! Well, almost all of it - all the way side-to-side (to the wall, basically) and aft to just forward of the genset.

The only floor system I've seen that was better than my Hatt's was on a late 80s POST I looked at. That floor LITERALLY hinged up on both sides and left the ENTIRE engine room accessible! It was an amazing piece of work and IMHO the best service access I've EVER seen on a boat that didn't have full stand-up room in the ER.

 

[worldsaway]

Yep the floor comes up alright but is not very convienient for routine maint checks. The port side has a built in cabinet which contains a wet bar storage area and and ice maker and takes up 1/2 the that side. To gain outboard access you had to pull the carpet back,pull the floorboard up from around the cabinet and then you were still coming down almost on top of the waterheater. Hardly a user freindly operation for a quick outboard check. Now you just open the cabinet door to the storage area,pull up the hatch and drop right in,fwd of the water heater. Strb side salon has a large u shaped couch on the outboard side runs the entire length of the salon. To move it requires moving the other two sections of the u, and lifting the couch straight up (since it is only abt 2inches shorter that the space between the aft bulkhead and the fwd cabinet) The couch is HEAVY and then pull back the carpet. With the hatch you dont have to move the couch at all, just open the couch storage area, open the hatch beneath and drop right down fwd of the a/c units. Floors come still come up for the more serious work but I find I'm more apt to regularly check outboard hoses clamps etc if its easier to get to. I think the interior salon layout/furnishings differed slightly from the setup in yours Genesis. By the way, I took out the icemaker that was located in the portside cabinet and replaced it with a self contained 16k BTU air conditioner. Sound proofed the cabinet and all you hear is the fan blowing but the salon will stay at 72 even in the Fl summertime heat.

 

[Genesis]

That layout sounds very similar to how mine was laid out....

I was able to crawl around to the outboard side of the engines via the aft end on both sides with a flashlight to do routine spot-look-sees, but to actually get IN there you had to pull the carpet and the floor.

The way I had my carpet set up I could have the floor up in about 5 minutes - no big deal at all.

 

[Paul45c]

However, it just doesn't sound like an old classic Hatt to me.

The sound is EVERYTHING! I've got 6v92 500's, and if I ever had to repower, I'd first have to make a really high end recording of them to lull myself to sleep. It's like a sweet 60's musclecar on steroids. LOVE that rumble, especially when you get a nice echo off the dock and seawall. I wouldn't care of my 45c SerII only went 10 kts.