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I think it's a mistake. As a marine engineer of 30 years, I will tell you that the bain of our existence in the field is when the design engineers have built something with no forward thinking when it comes to accessibility for future maintenance/replacement.

With respect to the design of the original 18 Outrage, I have the humility to recognize that Mr Dougherty knows more than I do. Without knowing his reasons or intent for configuring as he did, we are making a mistake when we change it without asking why. Seeing as we can no longer ask him, LEAVE IT ALONE!

This was one of his favorite designs in a long, successful career. If you change it and then take it out in rough weather, the loss in $ value may be the least of your worries..

Chris