Rabbit Hole
- Thread starter Golfpro
- Start date
I find grandchildren and great-grandchildren quite useful for that.
Greetings GolfPro! I have an ‘86 Hunter 34 with the same problem. When I bought the boat a year ago and looked down there to see three big gel cell house batteries, the fuel tank and all that wiring all I could imagine is somebody hired an oompah loompah to crawl in there! I’m 61, 6’3” and 245. I sure wasn’t gonna fit.
Well, as luck would have it, I had a lot of other work to do, including cleaning out the fuel tank - installed an access port in it from instructions on this site. So, I cut the walls out in the quarter berth in sections. Others have done pretty nifty jobs with installing easy access panels in that wall.
It’s not something you want to do every day, but once it’s done it affords access to the fuel tank, batteries and wiring that is otherwise inaccessible to us mere mortals.
Well, as luck would have it, I had a lot of other work to do, including cleaning out the fuel tank - installed an access port in it from instructions on this site. So, I cut the walls out in the quarter berth in sections. Others have done pretty nifty jobs with installing easy access panels in that wall.
It’s not something you want to do every day, but once it’s done it affords access to the fuel tank, batteries and wiring that is otherwise inaccessible to us mere mortals.
I call it the hellhole; holdover from airplane days. I'm 68 years old, 5'11" and 225. Not as flexible as I used to be. Get EVERYTHING you are going to need (or MIGHT need). Put it on the shelf beside the opening. Sit on the shelf, (assuming there's still room). Put your legs in and lower your feet to the surface below. (I don't have batteries in there so plenty of landing room). Hands over your head, suck in your belly and slither down in there. Not bad once you're through the opening. Remember to put your hands/arms out first before standing up to come out. Bring your phone the first time so you can call for help if needed
. Or, do as Colibri advises and cut an access panel in from the quarter berth. (Check for water, fuel and electric line locations before you do any cutting.) A simple frame will permit hinges and latch.
. Or, do as Colibri advises and cut an access panel in from the quarter berth. (Check for water, fuel and electric line locations before you do any cutting.) A simple frame will permit hinges and latch.
I have a 1983 Hunter 31. Djay has the proper entry procedure. For exit I keep a small one step step stool to aid In exiting. Put it on the fiberglass landing/sitting spot and reverse the entry process. We call that space the pit and in summer the pit of hell.
Thanks guys for all your suggestions. I found previous post from I think was in '15 explaining how to cut an access panel. But first I have to access the 'Hell Hole' to accurately judge where I need to cut. Will definitely take a stool down with me. With a knee and hip replacement, I surely would hate to call 911 to remove me. When you get my age, we start thinking of those things.
Hi Golfpro. The wall is 1/2” ply. I looked into the pit to make sure any wires that were fastened to the wall were cleared away. I used my handy dandy Ridgid JobMax Multi Tool with the sawtooth blade to cut the wall into panels/sections roughly two feet wide. I cut the aft wall into two sections. Note the forward most section of the starboard wall of the quarter berth is tied into a bulkhead and mine has wiring and electronics I did not want to move. So I did not try to remove that section.
I had to remove the ceiling panel that covers the steering gear and the quarter berth decking to cut the wall out. When I screwed the wall sections back in I covered my saw cuts with teak strips.
Cutting an access panel into that wall would be much easier and would also make it much easier to access the area in the future.
Hmmmm. I think I just came up with ANOTHER project!
I had to remove the ceiling panel that covers the steering gear and the quarter berth decking to cut the wall out. When I screwed the wall sections back in I covered my saw cuts with teak strips.
Cutting an access panel into that wall would be much easier and would also make it much easier to access the area in the future.
Hmmmm. I think I just came up with ANOTHER project!