Engine Hatch Supports

[Redhot]

I recently purchase a Four Winns 200 Candia. The engine hatch is missing the gas shocks to hold it up. My question is I know these are designed to hold the hatch up, but when installed what is there to actually hold the hatch down? I apologize if this is a stupid question............

 

[ThomW]

Nothing really holds it down, except for the weight of the hatch door itself. They are usually pretty hefty, as I am sure you know if there are no arms to hold it open for you!

 

[Redhot]

Well, that really was my thought, but as I trailered the boat for the first time with the cover off, I was on my 25 MPH street and the darn thing flung open. So I figured at 25 on fairly smooth road, this thing will fly open at 40 on a bouncy lake, right????

 

[jkust]

There will either be a latch or it would be a powered engine box which holds itself down.

 

[Redhot]

There must be a broken latch somewhere.....................Thanks guys.

 

[jkust]

There must be a broken latch somewhere.....................Thanks guys.

I don't know your boat but mine is a big stainless steel latch in plain sight. My struts got weak and I replaced them last year, the engine 'box' on my boat is very large and very heavy but would most certainly fly up in the right conditions at the right speed without the latch. My previous boat had a sort of strap that held the engine box closed but that boat was smaller and the engine box was a substantially different design weighing a fraction of the current one. The lighter and smaller engine box on that previous boat would fly up quickly when I forgot the attach the strap to the button.

 

[Scott Danforth]

my searay had a simple latch under the cover. only when the screws backed out of the latch did my cover open up.