Who builds a boat this way?

[SemiSalt]

I find this detail unexpected.

The first photo shows the "step in" area just inside the hatch of my Hunter 28. It is built of two pieces connected by a piano hinge. The knob of the engine stop cable is mounted on the back piece. The "finish" is adhesive-backed vinyl.

The second photo shows how the near panel opens to reveal a tool rack. This can actually be lifted out to give access to the engine from the top.

The third photo is a close-up showing the piano hinge on the left end. Here, the back panel is badly rotted from 34 years of minor leaks from the hatch above.

The interesting thing is that, as far as I've been able to see, the back panel is not secured by any metal fastenings. In fact, it can be lifted a bit with the fingers. It is apparently held in place by some sort of soft, black foam. I tried to get a picture of it, but didn't really succeed. I put a red line around the place where you can almost make it out. I assume the panel could be ripped out leaving a nasty job scraping out the remaining foam.

I need a repair, which should be pretty easy for anyone able to cut a 22 7/8 x 10 1/2 rectangle of 1" plywood. If I end up doing it, I think i'd try to glue down the back panel with a silicone-type adhesive.

[Olaf Hart]

Hunter, apparently…..

[Olaf Hart]

They aren’t alone, here is a pic of a newish Feeling sixty footer a thousand miles west of the Galapagos, sounds like one engine is hydrolocked.
Who designs an exhaust system like this?

IMG_0108.jpeg

It’s on the Facebook Volvo penta page..