Gary,
It is relatively easy access into that area if you just decide to take the bulkhead out. I have removed my rudder twice and actually added a locker door to this bulkhead and cutout part of the box that supports the LPG gas locker for storage.
What you will need to do:

• Remove the fiberglass hood that protects the cable, etc. overhead
• Remove the cushions
• Remove the bulkhead (screws should all be visible from the inside)
• Remove bulkhead (should be plenty of room)

It should come right out and you have full access to all that is behind it. While out it will make it easy for you to clean the whole area and refinish the bulkhead if required.
 

Well that makes it a bummer. Sounds like a good idea to design your own access.

Gary Smith,

#1. Start by unscrewing the box-cover over the underside of the steering pedastal from the "ceiling" of the aft Berth. That will provide you with some access to the stern cubby.

#2.

(Sorry, typing on the phone is like poking oneself in the eye with a pencil -- switched to laptop...)

#2.  Can't understand why Catalina worked so hard to make that stern cubby space inaccessible, but they stepped it up in your '93 version by glassing it in!  On our '91 there is a screwed in teak plywood panel back there.  I have no photo and the aft cabin is now filled with stuff for the winter, but I'll do a drawing and attach it.  The previous owner made a cut on the starboard lower side of the panel below the fiberglass box and left out the screws so that, when I made the change to the aft berth cushions (see earlier 'how-to' post) and ended up with no cushion in the aft foot and a half of the cabin, I could simply wiggle the port side of the panel out from under/behind the cover-box to access that cubby and store things we rarely use.

#3. See screenshot below.  I then went a step further and re-attached the cut panel with screws and cut a new access door, adding a piano hinge and latch to hold it in place.  The access is more restricted than with removing the entire half panel, but it is easier and I rarely use the stuff back inside there (bouy and chain to rescue wedged anchors, inflatable bouncy ring to pull behind the dinghy for kids, etc.).

I really suspect that you will need to cut a permanent access panel back there, Gary, perhaps as large as the entire port side panel I have, but the only way to get started is to first remove that cover-box over the quadrant.