Generator Hatch Access

[Skip]

The generator access hatch on my 53MY is huge. I was thinking of putting in a piano hinge and some sort of hydrolic lift. Has anyone done this before? What type of lifting device did you use? How did you keep the hatch flat with the deck when not in use? I think a pneumatic arm would not stay flat. Any help would be appreciated.
Skip

 

[DAlter]

Skip,

I have just what you describe on my 53MY, a piano hinge with a pneumatic lift. The hatch lays flat and one lift is adequate to hold it open provided no one leans on it! The lift I am talking about is similar to what you now see on most automobile trunks. If I get a chance I will take a picture and send it.

Doug

 

[Nonchalant1]

The generator access hatch on my 53MY is huge. I was thinking of putting in a piano hinge and some sort of hydrolic lift. Has anyone done this before? What type of lifting device did you use? How did you keep the hatch flat with the deck when not in use? I think a pneumatic arm would not stay flat. Any help would be appreciated.
Skip

Skip,

Mine has a piano hinge in the middle of the hatch so you can just open the port side of the hatch to climb down in easily and the hatch cover lays over flat on the other half. You can open either side, or lift the whole hatch out, but mostly I just need to climb down into it from the port side anyhow. Works great for me and no permanent attachments to unscrew if I want to remove it completely, which i have to do to get the sound shield top out of the genny room if I need to.

Doug Shuman

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I added a piano hinge to mine a few years ago. This picture shows just one pneumatic ram but I have since added another one and it works great.

Don't look at the ratty gen hush cover. That's on the list to get repainted.......someday.

 

[Pascal]

yes it folds up with a piano hinge in the midle but then you have to crawl around and don't have standing room over the genny.

I put a couple of plates underneath to screw both sides together and put in a piano hinge on the outside. I didn't put in a gas strut, it's not heavy although if you have to open it in rough seas make sure it doens' tfall back on your head

 

[Dustoff44]

I did the same as Pascal. By joining the two halves into one. I put the hinge near the sink. It now leans back against the front of the sink and stays there even in rough conditions. No strut support needed....