Rear Deck Panel

[kas919]

2019 Grady White Freedom 285 with caulked rear deck panel fore of bilge access door. Has anyone just removed the caulk and put stainless hinges and a pnuematic rod or two and made it an easier access to more of the bilge area. I believe they are doing it that way with the newer model years. Thanks

 

[Hookup1]

Get a look at the construction of the newer model. I'll bet they improved the seal on the hinged panel for safety.

 

[kas919]

Get a look at the construction of the newer model. I'll bet they improved the seal on the hinged panel for safety.

I did see a pic. It has a pretty extensive support and drain edge around it

 

[DennisG01]

It's all doable - when Inrebuilt my cockpit floor, I even built a brand new hatch where the cutout for the old sterndrive engine used to be. I created a drip ledge and drained/plumbed it directly into the stbd floor drain. It works good - but not perfect - enough water on the floor all at once will overflow the drain and some water still makes it into the bilge.

So, yes, you can do it. How extensive you want to make it is up to you. You "may" need to relieve some of the glass to allow for the piano hinge. You gotta look at the clearance you have. I just went with deck mounted hinges for simplicity.

 

[kas919]

It's all doable - when Inrebuilt my cockpit floor, I even built a brand new hatch where the cutout for the old sterndrive engine used to be. I created a drip ledge and drained/plumbed it directly into the stbd floor drain. It works good - but not perfect - enough water on the floor all at once will overflow the drain and some water still makes it into the bilge.

So, yes, you can do it. How extensive you want to make it is up to you. You "may" need to relieve some of the glass to allow for the piano hinge. You gotta look at the clearance you have. I just went with deck mounted hinges for simplicity.

Here is some stills from the video that prompted this

 

[DennisG01]

So you already did this?

 

[DennisG01]

Or is that from some newer model? What does "your" setup look like? That's the important part - not so much what's newer model have as it may have changed.

 

[kas919]

So you already did this?

No, still shots I took out of a newer model walk thru video

 

[SkunkBoat]

So you have a screwed down and caulked deck lid. No channel & drain.
Adding a hinge to that is going to leak water to the bilge. The PO of my 265 had done that and it was not watertight.
Creating a channel and drain will be exceedingly difficult to pull off.

It only took Grady 50 years to finally start making hinged deck hatches with moulded channels and drains.
Who wouldv'e thought customers need to access the bilge pumps and valves?

You could add a rectangular plastic hatch to the screwed down deck lid.
see this thread for an idea.

https://www.greatgrady.com/threads/265-mods.25902/post-157519