Dorade Mystery and Question

[alanperry]

On my 1979 Cheoy Lee Offshore 41 I have several dorades feeding fresh air into the cabin. On the Dorade box sits the air scoop and directly behind it is a plate with a screw on cap. This cap if removed, opens to the hole that is the vent into the cabin. Each Dorade is equipped this way. I cant really make up my mind why the extra cap and hole are there. I have thought that it might be so that you can change the position of the Dorade when in port in calm weather so the air comes directly down the hole into the cabin. Other than that I am not sure why these extra plates are there. Does any one have any ideas. Or does anyone have a Cheoy Lee and the original brochure. These Dorades are original to the boat from the pics I have seen from the Mfg.????

[ASkok]

Alan,
The "extra" opening allow access to the inside of the dorade box. I have used it to run solar panel wiring below, stero speaker jacks, etc as well as cleaning out the inside of the box.
For information on Cheoy Lee's they have a good user's group and discussion board, the site is at http://www.cheoyleeassociation.com/a_entrance.htm
It's a great site if you own a Cheoy Lee.

[alanperry]

Thanks, Ive been to the CL web site many times but never asked this question there. It actually just occured to me although I've had the boat for over a year now. Always had more pressing boat things to worry about I guess.

Did your Cheoy Lee come with an extra set of the dorade covers for heavy weather?