Engine Hatch

aero3113

Anyone ever have their engine hatch open up on its own??!! I checked my camera this morning and noticed it was open. We did have a thunderstorm last night so I’m thinking somehow the lightning caused it.  It wasn’t opened by a person because all of the zippers were still closed the bungees at the back on the canvas broke and of course the transom door latch broke. The camera didn’t pick up any motion, I guess because the hatch moves slowly? I have some nice tears on the canvas that need to be repaired now also! When I got down to the boat the hatch worked as normal with the switch. I ran the engines and checked all systems, everything is normal. The pics of the canvas were after I replaced the bungees.

TonyG13

That's weird. Could something have fallen on to your hatch switch at the panel, like a boat hook pole, etc? Or more nefarious - someone unzipped your side panel, reached in and pushed it? 

aero3113

Nothing hit the panel, no finger dock for someone to walk up and hit the switch. Would be a long reach also, the switch is to the left of the steering wheel.

aero3113

Very weird! 

J3ff

someone could have hit the breaker/cut the power...and then come in and done it...what would they be looking for in your engine compartment though?  Did you get any notifications that the camera lost connection? I know Nest will send the last thing it saw before a power loss.

aero3113

Nothing was taken in the engine compartment. The camera will run off of an internal battery if it loses power, the WiFi router works off of 12 volt. No motion notifications. If the power was cut, everything still works.

aero3113

Plus, where the canvas snaps on by the transom door, it was still attached. With the hatch up the canvas was so tight I couldn’t even unsnap it to get in the boat. I had to unzip and squeeze in then lower the hatch to unsnap it.

bella-vita

Wow that’s strange!!

Aqua_Aura

This gave me an idea. I have some extra wifi cams at my house and a T-Mobile SIM card. I think I'll set up a hot spot and out a camera on my boat 🤔. 

This is very odd that the engine opened, maybe water in the switch or relay? 

aero3113

Anything is possible @Aqua_Aura . The camera is definitely nice to have.

reneechris14

Super weird, maybe the motors were hot and needed to breathe.

Ian

When did you last open it? Just as a contact can wear and not switch, they can stick and wondering if it is a possibility at all the contact didn’t quite open but enough to stop it going up when released but then maybe some arcing later made the connection. Just theoretical, without pulling the switch apart hard to prove; if it was me I’d be buying a new switch base. 

aero3113

I want to say I opened it 4-5 days before it opened on its own. 

aero3113

My switches are brand new.

dalek

Typical Sherlock Holmes type locked room mystery.

YYZRC

That is messed up, and really a frustrating repair - sorry @aero3113

Spyderweb

That is so bizarre!  I’m so sorry.  Of all the things that can go wrong with these boats, who’s expecting this.  I’m betting it’s related to the lightening.

aero3113

Yea, so annoying. I think lightning is really the only answer right now. I’m glad that I found a local canvas repair guy. He has a quick turnaround time and is very reasonable. I sent him the pics and he told me to bring them over. I’m still waiting for the snaps so I can use the cockpit cover. Once I can use the cover I’ll bring them to him.

raybo3

How would lightning open the engine hatch???? IMO no way. Bad switch or intermittent short circuit. Maybe water in bilge and "nick" in the hatch motor wire getting power form bilge pump connection. I think its going to be something like that that caused this. Good finding the problem and keep us posted. 

aero3113

Connector looked fine and the metal prongs also. No noticeable nicks on the wiring and the plug is high from any bilge water. It’s just strange, something had to close the circuit. Lightning can do weird things to electronics and systems. It could be from moisture or water, it’s a mystery. Anyone know where the relay is on an ‘08 330? 

YYZRC

Does the hatch motor work by reversing the polarity for up vs down? I assume so but...?

Ian

I agree with @raybo3 and doubt lightning. Electronics, yes, Outright raw DC circuits for the amount of time to open the hatch - nope. The circuit has to be made or power/surge for a long time. Is there an actual relay? I just replaced my switch and it was a simple reversing of polarity but there has been discussion here recently about some later models not closing by reversing at the override posts so maybe there are some electronics there now.

Liberty44140

That is just crazy. Do you have video from the ring of it opening on its own with no one there? Or no cloud recording? Is the switch itself new or just the switch cover?

aero3113

@Liberty44140 ,very crazy. No video, it didn’t set off the motion. Everything on the switch panel is new.

aero3113

Sometimes the cloud recording is intermittent with the WiFi, but I think it didn’t set off the motion because it opens slowly and the hatch doesn’t really give the camera enough movement to pick it up.

YYZRC

aero3113 said:

Hey @aero3113, what's in the hatch beside the helm seat?  I don't have that.

aero3113

@YYZRC , I have a small first aid kit, a 110 plug adapter and my fuel/water/waste cap tool in it.

Spyderweb

" Hey @aero3113, what's in the hatch beside the helm seat?  I don't have that."

That's strange.  Mine has it.

YYZRC

Now I have hatch envy!

aero3113

@YYZRC , maybe you were in a zone and got rid of it when you did the radio remote and didn’t realize!

YYZRC

LOL!  I do love not having the radio remote at the transom door, it looks so clean now.

I think your boat and @Spyderweb's boats are newer than mine; perhaps a running change.