How difficult is it to lift your engine hatch?

Henry Boyd

Henry Boyd

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2007
6,014
Newburyport, on the peaceful and serene Merrimack
Boat Info
‘09 Sabre 38 Hardtop Express “Serenity”
Engines
Volvo D6 w/IPS450 Pods
Our 280 has a manual engine compartment hatch. It is clearly a chore to lift. Since this is the only 280 we have ever known, I don't know if it is that the gas struts have pooped out, or if a power hatch was one of the options the first buyer should have bought.

To put it in perspective, pulling our 65 lb zodiac out of the water and up onto the the bow is noticably easier than yanking the engine hatch open.

Henry
 
I moded a ski rope handle that just loops around the latch handle so I can stand up and pull. makes it much easier.
 
Henry Boyd said:
To put it in perspective, pulling our 65 lb zodiac out of the water and up onto the the bow is noticably easier than yanking the engine hatch open.

Henry
Click to expand...

Two issues, the hatch is heavy and the handle is small with relatively sharp edges. I open it but I am a large person. I’d say it’s about a 60 lb dead lift but concentrated in a small part of your hand.

OK, how do you know if your struts are still working? Well, once open, if it stays open on its own with nothing on the hatch then they are working. If the hatch creeps back down they need replacement.
 
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on a hot day rubber seal become very sticky and keeps hatch and floor sealed together making it hard to open
 
Mine has always been hard to open. My wife can't lift the hatch at all. One of the tension rods has already been replaced.
 
It's hard to open, especially with the table, carpet, and bench. I'm telling you a rope or handle looped around the hatch handle and you can stand up and pull it open with ease. I've thought about a hatch motor, I even have the buttons at the helm for it.
 
Ditto on the hard to open, mine is the same way. I don't think there is anything wrong with our struts it's just the excessive weight.
 
The couple we purchased our 280 from installed a hydraulic lift on our hatch as both he and his wife had trouble lifting it. It's pretty nice just pressing a button.
 
I agree with you all. It is a difficult thing to open without any external means. I dont think a power hatch was an option for that boat, but it sure sounds good.
 
I hated the hatch lift on my 280, especially since there was an (unused) switch on the dash for a hatch lift. My solution was to buy a 340 :)
 
I don't know if it's something special about 280s, but my 240 it's very easy. I also don't recall sale rep having an issue openning it on 280s when we were looking at them. Did you ask your local dealer for suggestions? The first things come to mind is if anything agains it under the sit? If I keep mine in open position it's a litle harder and it doesn't open as much. If I fold the sit, then it's easier. Also, is it just initial pop that's so hard or even when it srats to open it goes hard all the way? I'm thinking if just initial pop, then I would check the hatch grove and cover edge to make sure they're clean and nothing makes them stick together. If it goes hard all the way up, is it possible to put grease or spray DW40 on the hinges?

Alex.
 
It's just hard getting it past the first 4 inches. Once it's moving, it goes. I've been on about 20 280's and they are all hard to open. For me it's not so much the weight as it is the finger breaking hatch handle. It's a lot of weight on two fingers.
 
Have you tried approaching an option for stronger struts or even adding extra pair?
 
TurtleTone said:
It's just hard getting it past the first 4 inches. Once it's moving, it goes. I've been on about 20 280's and they are all hard to open. For me it's not so much the weight as it is the finger breaking hatch handle. It's a lot of weight on two fingers.
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I have no problem in on 2003 280 personally...but I don't think my wife would be able to open it as easily as I can.

I think it stems from a small hatch handle, the limited space you have to stand clear and the dead lift of the first inch or two. A power lift would be nice indeed. Maybe someone can draw up some plans for a power hatch lift kit for a do-it yourself type project.

My 2cents.
 
The Engine Room hatch in our 290 Amberjack is very heavy and cumbersome, even when someone isn't standing on it. :~(
 
Scholarship said:
The couple we purchased our 280 from installed a hydraulic lift on our hatch as both he and his wife had trouble lifting it. It's pretty nice just pressing a button.
Click to expand...

I also have the hatch lift option. Now you guys have me worried that I won't be able to get it open if I have no battery power. I guess I should probably test the procedure to manually open it before my next outing. You need to open up a deck plate and reach under to pull a pin to disconnect the lift mechanism. When the hatch comes up, the entire back seat (with all of the life jackets under it - possibly wet), as well as the transom locker and it's contents must be lifted as well.

Michael
 
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