I have the same hinge/tray setup on my 88 235 Force. I ad to replace the wood and foam i mine right after I bought the boat 12 years ago. Make sure you use a marine grade plywood. Also, you might find that the wood and the foam are saturated with water, which makes it extremely heavy. When you replace the wood and foam with dry stuff, and fix your hinges, you will probably find that it lifts much more evenly.

Cplgeorge, been a while since I've checked this thread, how did your hatch repair go?