1998 350 Mariner - General Questions

[Fully_Vetted]

Good morning everyone!
We are settling in to our 350 Mariner and so far, very much enjoying her. She is a lot more modern than our 1990 38 Santego and that has its pros and cons, but we love her.
Have a few general questions and am looking for a fellow 350 Mariner owner that is just more familiar with the model.
1) Has anyone added anything to the deck to help with how sloped it is and the potential of something going over? We haven't lost anything yet, but I feel it is inevitable.
2) Has anyone converted the entertainment area to anything else? Ours has a dvd player and outdated electronics and it looks like a great deal of space that could be more functional. Not sure what all is back there... I haven't explored it yet. We do not watch TV so currently its useless for us.
3) Has anyone updated the flooring in a 350 Mariner? If so I would love pics of your project.
4) In the cockpit, there are upholstered approx 5x20 thin cushions port and starboard interior. Behind those are approx 4" circular cutouts that open in to the engine compartment. I have found water intrusion there, as they are only covered by these cushions and are not sealed in any way. Question... does anyone know why those would be there? I'll try to get pics later today and add them to this thread.

Thanks for any help!

Throwing in some pics as we left the docks this morning. Beautiful morning...

[bud37]

#4.....access to the fuel fill hose fitting backside and the tank vents, is my best guess.You can seal those, there should be an o ring....remove and rebed.

[Fully_Vetted]

Thanks Bud. That's kind of what we thought... we were aware the tank vent was right there, just not happy there isn't proper covering for the access. We are going to try to find something to cover without permanently denying access.
Appreciate your response!