Access Hatches rear cockpit bulkhead TC255

C

Captains Cat

New member
My 2006 TC255 has the smaller access hatches on the rear of the cockpit. As such, it is very difficult to get to stuff down in the bilge like the macerator pumps for the fishboxes and especially the bilge pumps. Can someone measure their hatches on a newer TC? I know they are about as big as they can get and still fit, mine are a lot smaller. The outside measurement flange to flange will do.

Alternatively, if the factory (Scott?) can tell me what brand/model they are currently putting in the new TCs, that would be great too.

Thanks

Charlie
 
Charlie, can you post a picture?

My boat is not here, but I'll be with it next Friday and will get you pictures and measurements.

My lazarettes have stupid metal "floors" in them, each with a round access hatch. I am pulling those out.
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mike
 
Dark out now, boat is in the driveway. Here's a "big hatch" on Roger's DREAMER, just under the red BBQ grill. Comes up to the deck level. Mine are a lot smaller. I'll just go measure the space I have and buy the biggest one that will fit.



P6150013.sized.jpg

Charlie
 
Ah, I see. Mine are the same a Roger's.

When I get to the beat next weekend, I'll look and see if I can find a model number on them.
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mike
 
Captains Cat":uo7xv0nr said:
My 2006 TC255 has the smaller access hatches on the rear of the cockpit. As such, it is very difficult to get to stuff down in the bilge like the macerator pumps for the fishboxes and especially the bilge pumps.
Click to expand...

You could also do what Roger did, and install access covers in the fishboxes themselves. Roger writes about it here but something happened to his photos of the project -- they are not in his album any more.

Warren
 
Thanks Warren. They're still there, may have been moved though so the old link doesn't work anymore. I'd like to do that too, wrestling with how to keep all the cutting debris out of the bilges since it'll be hard to clean out after the job(s).

P1010285.sized.jpg
 
Charlie,

I, too, like that idea of the hatch IN the box. I am wondering if a guy used one of those new vibrating saws, avoiding through cutting until the last, and having someone hold a vacuum up to the saw blade, could avoid most of the problem of debris in the bilge?

John
 
If you look at the post in his album, it says he used a sawzall which is a very messy process. Of course, once you open this up, and put a larger hatch in the vertical cockpit bulkhead, it'll be easier to get to the bilge to clean it out... :wink:

I've got a rotozip, which is probably what I'd use.

Charlie
 
I would use a drill and a Dremel...the rotation of the Dremel and the drill is such that most all the debris would be ejected into the fishbox. Be sure to measure awfully careful :shock:
 
Still looking for someone to tell me the dimensions (outside dimensions of frame) of their TC rear cockpit bulkhead hatches. Mine are 12 1/2 X 15 1/2 which correspond to one of the Bomar models. Other Bomar models, larger, measure 18 1/8 X 20 3/16 ( a very tight if not impossible fit width wise) and 13/3/4 X 23 1/2 (close to the max height available).

Anyone near their boat with the larger hatches that can confirm one of these two alternatives?

Thanks..

Charlie
 
Charlie,

If you are listing the outermost flange dimensions, your current size would match my aft hatches. Just mentally picturing it, I don't see how one could get a 24 inch dimension out of the transom wall area, so you may have the largest available.

I will be on the boat this weekend and will try to remember to measure that for you.

John
 
Yours may be the same as mine John but mine are way smaller than Roger's on Dreamer, see a post about 6 up on this thread, right below the red grill cover. Mine are at least 6 inches below the top edge of the cockpit. His are nearly flush (on the outer edge of the flange.).

Charlie
 
Hi Charlie,

Just got back from the boat. Rear hatches are 23.5" tall, 13.75" wide. No part number apparent.

Now I have to go back to the boat and lock it up and get my keys that are hanging in the door... :oops:

Roger
 
Charlie,

My hatches are the same as Roger's - big. BUT please note that even those big transom hatches do not allow adequate room to mess with the bilge and macerator pumps on my my boat. There are several batteries and a floor to hold them behind the larger hatches.

I am thinking about putting those access hatches in the aft wall of each fish well.

John
 
Sorry Roger for the extra trip. I do things like that all the time, fortunately, even on the lift, the boat is only about 400' away!

John and Roger, thanks for the info, even a little bigger will help. Nothing in the way behind those hatches on my CAT, no floor, batteries anything. I have fuel filters, the macerator pumps (which hang on the hoses :disgust ) and, down at the bottom, the bilge pumps.

I'm gonna replace the smaller hatches with the larger ones. I'm sure someone can use the smaller ones somewhere.

Charlie
 
Charlie,

They put my fuel filters out on the aft side of the transom, over the swim platform. Initially this looked odd to me and I was unhappy about that arrangement, but after several years of easy access to the fuel filters and with no possibility of fumes getting into the bilge while servicing them, I prefer that arrangement.

Is there room for you to to that too?

John
 
Sure there is room and I've thought about it. May do it this winter since I'll be out of the water and off the lift till spring. Unfortunately, with the height on the trailer and the length, my boat will no longer fit in any of my many buildings. I can get the stern in the big bay up to the point where the radar interferes heightwise. At least I'll be able to work on the engines there. Lengthwise, the boat/trailer is 34'+ and that bay is only 28' anyway.
 
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