PLEASE HELP ME! How do I open engine compartment?
 

Doing some fiberglass repair to a boat and I have absolutely no idea how to power up this boat to open the engine hatch door.
it's a 2008 Fountain (and I'm pretty sure by looking at pictures of others online ) 38ft express cruiser...
it is not in the water.... it's on a trailer inside a warehouse.
I have it plugged up (shore plug) but the boat has 3 plugs... currently i have it plugged into the center outlet. I'm not even sure that is right.
Once you step into the boat from the back to the left side it has a sink (under that is a cabinet with 3 red dials .... one is for generator and the other two says I believe off 1 or 1&2 and some kind of outlet that says jumper cable) and it has a small black box above that labeled off, auto , and emergency.
in the floor it has a round metal plate with a small pole centered, for I believe a table, a small rectangle metal plate, and some type of a large fiberglass square access panel but it is screwed down and sealed so I'm not sure ?
what do I need to do?
also if you go inside, downstairs it has a breaker panel there that looks like something in a space shuttle.....
I'm so confused on what to do....

basically I need to know step by step what I need to turn on, or turn off, plug in, or whatever to get the engine hatch open.
is there an emergency access override?
I need some serious help. I am not a boat owner and I'm not rich... I could never afford anything like this and I have absolutely no clue what to do but I have to get the engine compartment open because someone has run a screw for something inside the compartment and they ran it all the way thru the bottom of the boat. I need to get that screw out to be able to repair the hole.
I don't know fancy boat terms so dumb it down if you can for me... if someone could walk me thru what to do to open that hatch either manually or by the switch
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know the 38 Fountain well but the battery switches are the ones in the cupboard under the sink. Turn all of them on then look on the dashboard for a switch that probably says 'hatch lift' and give it a try. If nothing happens, there may be another switch inside the cabin on that electrical switch panel possibly labeled accessories, or ignition maybe. Turn it on and try hatch lift again. If nothing happens, batteries may be dead.

If batteries are dead, the outlet that says "jumper cable" might be your friend. Many Fountains had such an outlet and there should be a set of jumper cables somewhere in the boat that will fit in and connect the other end to a jumper battery. Connect them up and try again.

If it's connected to shore power, look for a selector switch on the switch panel in the cabin that switches from 'shore power' 110 volt (AC) to 'house' 12volt (DC) Select 12 volt D.C., house batteries, whatever it says, you're now getting power to the boat through its own batteries and not the mains 110 volts. Try the hatch lift again.

If that doesn't help, wait for someone smarter than me to answer...... that shouldn't take long......:)

Good luck.

RR

Thank you.,, ill try that and see what happens

There is a rocker switch on the dash to the right of the steering wheel, next to the keys. It says "Hatch up". Turn on the battery switches in the cabinet under the sink, put them all on both if that's an option. Then hatch should open if the batteries are good. If not, plug in the jumper cables to the plug in the same cabinet under the sink, and try the button again.

The whole back will open with the seat, floor, table and everything.

Can't the owner tell you how to do it?

Yeah all of that's a no go.... I've tried running the battery charger but still unable to get dc power so I'm guessing batteries are shot....
owner just bought so he doesn't know...
and cables of course aren't here.... do I need a special type jumper cable for this thing

I've got ac power.... and the panels light up on that breaker area but nothing happens when I kick the dc breaker

Whoo hoo... finally!
we got her to open. I don't know if it was because she's been sitting so long while being repaired or what, but they made up a set of cables and hooked it to a jump box and everything started working.
Like I said not sure if it was just because it has sat so long and needed a kick in the butt.... but now it is raising and closing on its own without the jumper box.
Thank you everybody for helping out.
y'all saved the day!

Congrats on the new 38 ec. I have a 2006 version and love the boat. keep the jumper cables with the connector to power up the hatch as that is the only way to get the engine hatch open if the batteries die. The connector is a standard golf cart 12 volt power connector, so they are readily available, not a marine only item. I also installed an inspection plate in the floor of the rear storage compartment that is just stern of the connection of the electric lift to the hatch. That way if the electric lift ****s the bed, you can reach in an un-bolt the connection and raise the hatch manually.