215cc Mega-Hatch

[Mike in Maine]

I just came from the NE Boat show. I looked at the "07" 215cc and examined the mega-hatch. I forgot to ask the dealer is it water tight? Also what do most people store or use it for? It looks like you could fit alot of stuff in there.

Thanks, M I M

[OspreyVic]

Mike, it all depends on who is going with me.

If it is just the admiral and I, then we put the life jacket bag and the throw cushion in and place them as close to the center console as possible. This leaves the forward half free to store the admirals porta pottie, etc. We purchased a bungie cord that is just the right length to hold the forward half of the hatch cover up if the porta pottie is used.

Unless a boat is right next to ours, no one can tell or see what the admiral is doing. Much less confining and not claustrophobic like an enclosed head that some center consoles have. This was the feature that sold the admiral on our Triumph.

If the admiral is not along, this just gives more room to store “stuff”. We use plastic bags to keep things dry in the mega hold (mine is NOT water tight). If kids are tubing, guess where the water goes when they back into the boat. Same is true if you hit a wave just right. I will be dry behind the center console, but water on the forward deck has a good chance to find its way into the mega hold. We have never had a lot of water in our mega hold, but it doesn’t take much water to make stuff wet.

It is a great spot to store coats after it warms up and extra clothing in case you get wet. There are lots of uses for this large area.

Hope this helps.

[Codfish]

MIM,

Depends on the trip. I use mine to hold stuff I don't mind getting wet or, most often, I use it for a fish locker. It holds a lot of large halibut. (See avatar).

It is definitely not water tight. No better than the four side lockers. The false floor inside is to help keep your stuff up off the bottom where water can collect between bow up runs, when the water drains to the bilge and gets pumped out. When you wash the boat at home it will also hold water. I have to drive to a nearby hill to get it to drain to the rear and out. A small price to pay for having such a large storage area.

Codfish

[Putershark]

Once the area is dry,
You can use the old sponge practice golf ball trick to plug up the drain. The water will not move forward yet it is easy to remove to drain out if needed in case it rains or you wash that area down. The false floor (I would assume all new 215 have such by now?) also is a nice feature to have to help keep stuff dry...