Ok Ebay Ed, you can have the most expensive 272 on the planet!

Sounds like we've got divided opinion on the merits and pitfalls on a recessed sunpad. I'll throw in one more for all you guys that do your on maintenance. When the hatch is open, the back of the hatch sticks down behind the engine. This makes any sort of access to the rear of the engine vitually impossible without removing the hatch (which weighs like 10 million pounds). Even greasing a coupler was nearly impossible. Hopefully that 3.25 inches will help a lot here.

Mittens, if I'm missing my wife this summer, I'll know what happened. If I'm missing my cell phone, I'll be dancing on that sunpad!

Here are the hinge plates and new brackets for the hatch actuators (going to two to hold the sunpad down, another story).

I have drawings for all these parts if anyone would like copies. I've also generated drawings for many of the dash and switch panels when I installed a chartplotter a few years ago.

Hopefully it will all start to go back together pretty soon.

Dan

Woops. Wrong picture.

Dan

Thanks again for the details so far. My attention has turned to a house remodel in order to get it on the rental market but either way I look forward to you post each time.

To answer your question on the hatch opening voluntarily, I've only had this boat out 2 times (bought last fall) and I did not experience that issues. Ours has the cuddy and I'd imagine that alone would prevent the amount of wind necessary to lift the hatch.

Thanks!

haha no problem man, just giving my thoughts on the prodject. good luck. aND CURIOUS what it will look like

Me too! I bet a new hatch is in the works for next winter. I am trying to ditch the rear bench and go with a four bolster setup. It will look funny this summer for sure.

Dan

I bet you're right. This is probably an Islander only issue and probably only because of the way we like to run the boat (without any access obstruction to the bow).

Dan

Well I made some good progress last night. I had been saving all my part installations that required caulk until I had all that I anticipated ready. So last night, the tube of 4200 was popped open and the work began. These included bedding new drink holders (I can do bling as much as that may amaze some people), bildge vent hose spigot installation in the air intake box (the hoses are just crammed in rough openings in the bottom of the box from the factory), removing all screws, sealing and bedding the trim pump. Unsealed screws are the bane of Baja, Hook'em being the worst victim I know of. A little dab of sealant from the factory and these boats would have lasted forever. And finally the installation of the lower hatch actuator brackets and new hinge plates. It is very satisfying when you can actually start assemblying things isn't it? Hopefully I will have the new firewall by this weekend. I still have a lot of work to do rewiring the battery selector, the hatch actuators (this will require a relay pack) and installing a new automatic charging relay (ACR). It is a good thing I beleive that making it better is almost as much fun as riding in the thing!

Dan

so when beside the boat, your going to see the hatch hinges sticking out above the fiberglass?

some one is going to loose some skin on that hinge sticking up like that

Prob not unless your looking for it. But when your buzzed up and step across the pad in the wrong spot you sure will feel it. Had a buddy do this exact same thing to clear a turbo setup on a Sunsation. Not the greatest idea he had...