Weed Hatch/Access issues

[Movin' on]

Apologies I have taken this question directly from a response of mine on the BCN cruise topic but have done this so I get a wider range of informed comments - apologies to those (like me) who don't like duplicated topics...……………………..

 

 

....................................as most of you know Zulu is a recent acquisition and she has an incredibly heavy weed access hatch which consists of a deck lid two "f'ing" great tubes providing the physical connection to the baffle plate below all of which is very heavily fabricated as one combined unit and is quite daunting at my age and physical condition...………………….

 

Has anyone ever taken such an item to an aluminum fabricator and had a direct replacement made - any suggestions/comments any Midlands based fabricator recommendations??

 

For further info, over and above a normal boat hook do any of the other available weed/prop clearing devices actually work???

 

ALSO as the access is through the back deck (i.e. well above water line) is it practical/sensible to simply fabricate a new bolted down sealed ally lid (even if only for the BCN event) and not to have a baffle plate at all??

 

As mentioned this question is only asked in the context of the BCN event and my possibly having to access the prop every hour for 6 days straight (worst case) which with my current arrangements would hospitalize me

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by Halsey

[bizzard]

6 minutes ago, Halsey said:

Apologies I have taken this question directly from a response of mine on the BCN cruise topic but have done this so I get a wider range of informed comments - apologies to those (like me) who don't like duplicated topics...……………………..

 

 

....................................as most of you know Zulu is a recent acquisition and she has an incredibly heavy weed access hatch which consists of a deck lid two "f'ing" great tubes providing the physical connection to the baffle plate below all of which is very heavily fabricated as one combined unit and is quite daunting at my age and physical condition...………………….

 

Has anyone ever taken such an item to an aluminum fabricator and had a direct replacement made - any suggestions/comments any Midlands based fabricator recommendations??

 

For further info, over and above a normal boat hook do any of the other available weed/prop clearing devices actually work???

 

ALSO as the access is through the back deck (i.e. well above water line) is it practical/sensible to simply fabricate a new bolted down sealed ally lid (even if only for the BCN event) and not to have a baffle plate at all??

 

As mentioned this question is only asked in the context of the BCN event and my possibly having to access the prop every hour for 6 days straight (worst case) which with my current arrangements would hospitalize me

 

If your tiller arm's strong enough how about having a little eye welding on the deck plate and rigging a little tackle to lift it from the tiller,, something like a ratchet strap.

[GUMPY]

Mine is a thru deck one as well. However the top and bottom plates are separate.

See the attached images, the top plate just rests there and the bottom plate rests on two flanges either side and is held down by a T bar.

The T bar nut stripped  once and I had to run for a while with no bottom plate didn't really make much difference except for the sound.

I use a sharpened patio tool/knife to extend my reach as otherwise I cant reach the shaft.

Aluminium may well not last due to it being less noble than steel or bronze.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by Loddon

[Movin' on]

38 minutes ago, bizzard said:

If your tiller arm's strong enough how about having a little eye welding on the deck plate and rigging a little tackle to lift it from the tiller,, something like a ratchet strap.

it truly is too heavy to contemplate for much more than a 3 times a year access

29 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Mine is a thru deck one as well. However the top and bottom plates are separate.

See the attached images, the top plate just rests there and the bottom plate rests on two flanges either side and is held down by a T bar.

The T bar nut stripped  once and I had to run for a while with no bottom plate didn't really make much difference except for the sound.

I use a sharpened patio tool/knife to extend my reach as otherwise I cant reach the shaft.

Aluminium may well not last due to it being less noble than steel or bronze.

 

 

Don't mind if it doesn't last more than the event and then a go to spare 

[bizzard]

The neck and back are also almost as strong as arms. With a strap around the neck to supplement a rope to pull with the arms, both attached to that handle. I used to shift engines about like it. not any more though.

[Rob-M]

Don't lift the weed hatch and use a shaft from the bank under the counter instead. With a bit of practice you will become proficient in removing stuff off the blades quite quickly.

[Movin' on]

3 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Don't lift the weed hatch and use a shaft from the bank under the counter instead. With a bit of practice you will become proficient in removing stuff off the blades quite quickly.

Agreed just not something i'm practiced at and I have bad hip and back issues.

I think Marcellus simply had a bolted down "lid" and nothing else and that is probably what I need to do here unless there is a good reason not to that I don't know

Thanks

[Mike55]

One of the problems with aluminium is that as it isn't as strong as steel, unless it's stiffened (compared to a steel one) it'll likely distort & leak, particularly when you tighten up the weed hatch clamp. Making a aluminium copy of your existing one (to the same dimensions etc.) would probably not work. It'll probably need a thicker top plate/lid plus more cross bracing on the underside of it.

[LEO]

Hi,

If yours is a Tony Francis boat, that weed hatch arrangement is heavy - I have one and found it makes life easier if you cut and profile a hole to take a drain cover lifting hook. This makes the handle stand about 9" above the cover and makes for an easier lift. It you stand it on the counter when clearing the prop. make sure you tie it in case it falls off - you would need a big magnet to retrieve it if it did.

 

M

[Movin' on]

32 minutes ago, LEO said:

Hi,

If yours is a Tony Francis boat, that weed hatch arrangement is heavy - I have one and found it makes life easier if you cut and profile a hole to take a drain cover lifting hook. This makes the handle stand about 9" above the cover and makes for an easier lift. It you stand it on the counter when clearing the prop. make sure you tie it in case it falls off - you would need a big magnet to retrieve it if it did.

 

M

It is!

and 

It is!

Like the idea but I'm just trying to remove the weight issue for the week of the BCN event so I think a bolted down lighter steel plate is going to be the answer as I'm sure we had on Marcellus years ago.

Also I used to own another Tony Francis then called Benji now "Fox" and that only had a bolted down top plate as I remember

PS as a reminder you had the 2LW block from me - hope you are well...……………………..

J

Edited January 23, 2019 by Halsey

[Ian F B]

19 minutes ago, LEO said:

Hi,

If yours is a Tony Francis boat, that weed hatch arrangement is heavy - I have one and found it makes life easier if you cut and profile a hole to take a drain cover lifting hook. This makes the handle stand about 9" above the cover and makes for an easier lift. It you stand it on the counter when clearing the prop. make sure you tie it in case it falls off - you would need a big magnet to retrieve it if it did.

 

M

I used thick aluminium for the baffle,drilled the cover,and used stainless studding to join the two together,using 2 nuts top and bottom each side so I could adjust it to fit

[BWM]

I don't see why you couldn't have a temporary one made, possibly bolted together so it could be dismantled for storage. Aluminium won't deteriorate over the occasional long weekend, there are many grades available anyway. If yours is like the one pictured there will be no risk of sinking.