Lifting Struts

[BaylorU]

Hi Y'all. Have any of you installed lifting struts to any of the side compartments or the engine hatch in the cockpit of your C26 or C28? It’s REALLY lame that Cutwaters don’t have lifting struts from the factory, and when the compartment hatches slam down it reminds me of how the tiny details matter, especially on a boat! I know it’s a very easy project, but if someone has done it I would love to get the specs on strut length and lbs of lift rather than doing trial and error myself.
This is one of those things that you don't think about much until a compartment hatch slams down on a kid's finger or worse. No thanks...I'll just avoid that, thank you very much.
Note to Ranger....please for the love, this should be standard on our boats.
Thanks!
Ken

 

[Salty7]

As a guy who had gas struts on both a Tollycraft and a Bayliner I can tell you they are not a perfect answer. Their lifting ability alters with temperature and age, you cannot trust them to safely hold something up, particularly on a windy or cold day. imho the hatches are safer without them.

 

[BaylorU]

Interesting take...can’t say I agree or disagree. I have generally replaced mine every couple years on every boat I’ve owned (which is many). They’re a 3 minute replacement job, and if you know how to buy them, they’re inexpensive.
I guess like anything, people love them or hate them!
K

 

[Salty7]

Ken, me too, owned many boats that is. I like gas struts when they work, hate them when they don't. I have always done my maintenance, replaced them when they are clearly weak and still had nasty surprises, like a heavy engine hatch falling on my head with two new struts about a month old holding it up. I also have a friend who suffered a serious hand injury from a GM truck hood falling on him when a gas strut failed, they aren't ideal. If you want something deluxe the electric/hydraulic rams are the cat's meow but they are pricey and do need power, a dead battery is not their friend. Hydraulics are far more reliable than a gas strut which has variable lifting ability depending on temperature and residual gas charge. Check out Lenco and Bennett hatch lift systems for positive electric or electric/hydraulic lifting systems.

 

[BugTug]

BaylorU.
I have replaced struts in the past both on Boats and Trucks. I have found on the Strut there is a number, most times its the part number. Google that number. It will be the same Length and gas pound as you have..
Hope that helps..

Save the Toes and Fingers..
Steve

 

[BaylorU]

Hey Steve, thanks for the comment. I don’t have lifting struts installed right now. I want to add them to the boat.
It’s an easy job to be sure, but I’m curious if anyone has already done it and could share the length/lbs of the struts used. There is typically an ideal length and weight rating for a given application, and if someone already figured it out I’d love to know!
K

 

[mikey]

I installed struts on the doors of the cockpit lockers-$20 Cdn from amazon. with 4"of travel one end is screwed 4" above the hinge on the door, the other end bolted to a 1/8 X 1 1/2 X 2" aluminum (to keep the strut below the door when closed) then screwed to the vertical part of the locker opening-works great, no need to use your head to hold door up when checking batteries!

 

[CruisingElvinRay]

For the record, my 2021 R-23 has gas struts on all 3 cockpit hatches.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[YukonRon]

Our R29 has electric struts on the engine hatch cover because it is quite big and heavy. Similar to these:
https://www.amazon.ca/Happybuy-Actu...ocphy=1001913&hvtargid=pla-569238715881&psc=1
I assume they are original, installed in 2016 and still working fine. I can stop the lift at any point and it stays there.
Maybe overkill for smaller lockers. Smaller ones are available:
https://www.amazon.ca/ECO-WORTH-Act...locphy=9001608&hvtargid=pla-569510793334&th=1
The only drawback is they are slow, takes all of 10 seconds for the hatch to open, but then I remind myself; hey, breath, enjoy the scenery, you're on a boat!
(Disclaimer: Links above are just examples. Not necessarily recommending you buy your marine equipment from Amazon.) 😀

 

[briandunnington]

I decided to use a hatch spring instead of hydraulic arms on my R23 because 1) they were available, and 2) I thought they were clever in how they worked.

Here is a ~10 second video showing them in action: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XxLzs_DAVgU

 

[KKRCRACE]

I use the hatch springs on my C242 and they work great.
KKRCRACE

 

[scross]

Ok, just ordered two hatch springs!

 

[TristenT]

I decided to use a hatch spring instead of hydraulic arms on my R23 because 1) they were available, and 2) I thought they were clever in how they worked.

Here is a ~10 second video showing them in action:

were you able to mount the hatch spring the the hatch with out drilling all the way through the hatch. Im guessing just some stubby screws work?

 

[briandunnington]

were you able to mount the hatch spring the the hatch with out drilling all the way through the hatch. Im guessing just some stubby screws work?

correct - the hatch fiberglass is thicker in the middle (the part around the edge is thin to allow room for the gasket/etc), so i just used some short screws that didnt go all the way through

 

[it4llc]

Ok, just ordered two hatch springs!

Where did you order them/what size did you get? I want to do this on our C28 as well.

 

[scross]

Where did you order them/what size did you get? I want to do this on our C28 as well.

Didn’t work out. Removed them.

 

[it4llc]

What was the issue, ie are you giving up on hatch springs, or just those specific ones?

 

[scross]

on my C-28, the shape of the hatches and the flanges are not ideal for a spring setup. I’m using bungee cords on the hatch handles going to the cockpit stainless rails to hold the latch doors open when working inside the compartments.