Yeah, they are spendy. But for me, whenever I wanted something out of the rear compartment (rope, towel, check on ballast filling) it seemed the majority of the time someone was either sitting strapping on a board or laying out in the sun. "Everybody move" and the whole engine compartment had to come open.

Now it's just open one or "slide over for a sec" and I never have to open the center over the engine. I had wanted to do that for about 6 years.

I hunted far and wide and didn't come up with any hinges that were really any less expensive for the right size. Could have gone with 4 smaller ones from Great Lakes Skipper that I'm sure I could have made work; but they were coming in at the $25ea range...