Installing Engine Hatch Gas Struts

[JT48348]

Has anyone considered or installed gas struts on the A27 engine hatches. The struts might be hinged or a gas cylinder (like a car hood) to keep the engine bay hatches open.

My open hatches just kind of lean against the helm chair and pilothouse bulkhead. But it would make sense to have struts that hold the hatches open.

[Jay Knoll]

I just attach a piece of line on each handle and tie them off to the adjuster knobs on the seat tracks, a lot more cost effective!

[Beta Don]

I reversed the hatch covers on my 27 so the starboard one opened first . . . . because all of the maintenance points on my Yanmar were on the starboard side of the engine. I could do most things with just that one hatch door open and still walk to and from the cabin over the port door.

On mine, when the starboard door was opened it rested against the helm seat and then lowering the dashboard hatch door pinned it against the seat - The hatch couldn't move at all. I seldom needed to open the portside door, other than to check the battery water, but when I did, I used a little 1/4 by 1/2 inch strip of wood about 2 feet long that I kept laying in the 'gutter' under the door to prop the port door open. The stick fit in a notch in the center of the gutter and against the lip under the hatch door - I had to bend it slightly to stick it on there and that kept it 'spring loaded' against the door when propped all the way open. The port door never moved even if there was a bumpy sea at the time

The K.I.S.S principle applies here IMO, as well as keeping it cheap and not adding any unnecessary weight to the boat . . . . but we do all have different priorities, so whatever suits your personal taste is just fine too

Don

[sail149]

hi
there is a simple 'bendy' spring support you can get to hold hatches open,
only cost a few $ and don't put a lot of pressure on the hatch when in the closed position
Defender sell them
warren

[Jay Knoll]

Yeah those are great until you accidentally bump the spring while it is holding the hatch open then it collapses very quickly. We had one of those on a chart table and I quickly leaned to watch my arms as I was rummaging around trying to find something.