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HPH

HPH

Member
Jul 27, 2009
40
Chesapeake Bay
Boat Info
260 Sundancer2004
Engines
350 Mag w/Bravo III Drive
Does anyone have any tricks of the trade for manuevering and working in the small bilge area of my 260. I have a 350 Mag with a generator... and I dont know how to position myself to do simple maintenance and cleaning... No where to put my feet or sit where I can get at anything. I thought about rigging a boson's chair but quickly dismisssed the idea...:smt100

Any suggestions would be appreciated! Every one on this site has been so helpful to this rookie Sundancer owner. Thank you!

HPH
2004 260 DA
350 Mag Bravo 3 Gen Set
 
HPH said:
Does anyone have any tricks of the trade for manuevering and working in the small bilge area of my 260. I have a 350 Mag with a generator... and I dont know how to position myself to do simple maintenance and cleaning... No where to put my feet or sit where I can get at anything. I thought about rigging a boson's chair but quickly dismisssed the idea...:smt100

Any suggestions would be appreciated! Every one on this site has been so helpful to this rookie Sundancer owner. Thank you!

HPH
2004 260 DA
350 Mag Bravo 3 Gen Set
Click to expand...


I thought that is what kids were for?

j/k

Wish I had a usefull suggestion, but I dont other than some sort of extension tools or something.
 
Potential solutions included:

1) pay someone else to do it
2) get a kid to do it
3) get a bigger boat

I spent 5 years killing myself working on my 95 290DA with twin 4.3's. One of major reasons I got the 370 was service access, which I my boat is generally great but I still have a few jobs that are killer.
 
I typically sit, with feet in center of bilge, on one side of the engine or the other. I've actually found it to be relatively easy to get to everything :huh:

I don't have the genny, though.

Can you move anything to a different area to give your more space?
 
you have an 04 so I can offer some help. get a screw gun and take the rear bench seat off. open the hatch dislocate the hatch struts. now you can pull the hatch up almost vertical and tie it off to the rear handrail. it really helps a lot with getting in and out and not having to stay hunched over. This only takes about 30 seconds to remove it, about a minute or two to put it back on. As far as a place to stand or sit, standing is not much of an issue but sitting is, I can only sit on the port side because of how the generator water strainer is mounted. I've vowed to one day lower it so I can sit on that side, but have yet to do so.
 
ultratiger89 said:
you have an 04 so I can offer some help. get a screw gun and take the rear bench seat off. open the hatch dislocate the hatch struts. now you can pull the hatch up almost vertical and tie it off to the rear handrail. it really helps a lot with getting in and out and not having to stay hunched over. This only takes about 30 seconds to remove it, about a minute or two to put it back on. As far as a place to stand or sit, standing is not much of an issue but sitting is, I can only sit on the port side because of how the generator water strainer is mounted. I've vowed to one day lower it so I can sit on that side, but have yet to do so.
Click to expand...

Actually, all you have to do is fold the legs of the seat up and let the front edge of the seat rest on the engine hatch. But, you're right, it's absolutely amazing how much easier it is to get in and out! Haven't done it, yet, but I'm planning on replacing the struts with longer ones. Just so I don't have to keep disconnecting the struts.
 
Lazy Daze said:
Actually, all you have to do is fold the legs of the seat up and let the front edge of the seat rest on the engine hatch. But, you're right, it's absolutely amazing how much easier it is to get in and out! Haven't done it, yet, but I'm planning on replacing the struts with longer ones. Just so I don't have to keep disconnecting the struts.
Click to expand...

I've tried that, but there is still a good bit of restriction leaving the seat on. Try it one day, you'll be amazed at how much further you can open it up. The hatch will be almost vertical and you can just step down in the compartment and stand straight up. My hatch will only get to about a 50° angle with the seat on. I get it to about 85° with the seat off. I don't even have struts on mine, they kept falling off, so I tossed them and made a support pole I keep under the cockpit sink.
 
ultratiger89 said:
I've tried that, but there is still a good bit of restriction leaving the seat on. Try it one day, you'll be amazed at how much further you can open it up. The hatch will be almost vertical and you can just step down in the compartment and stand straight up. My hatch will only get to about a 50° angle with the seat on. I get it to about 85° with the seat off. I don't even have struts on mine, they kept falling off, so I tossed them and made a support pole I keep under the cockpit sink.
Click to expand...

Hmmm. I've had my seat off - when I pulled the engine. Agreed, it doesn't go up as high as totally removing the seat, but I was definitely able to step right down and stand in front of the engine with the seat simply "disabled", so to speak:smt001. Oh well, either way is a HUGE improvement!
 
There is an alternative to getting a kid and that is lose a lot of weight
 
5 yrs ago I use to be in really good shape. I could do one handed hand stands for days it seemed while I was hanging upside down in the bilge looking for things to upgrade on. After buying the boat all my hard core hobbies stopped.
Now im so out of shape im fairly good at catching myself after a couple of mins before I fall on my head. :wow: :smt100
Maybe a membership at a gym would help :smt001
Dont know how your boat is set up. But I relocated the batteries. That gave me some walking/standing room on both sides of the engine.
 
Last edited:
Changed oil, filters , replaced batteries, lube oil, trim tab fluid as is. You just have to be a little agile with your feet. I'm 65 so you can do it too.
 
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