COwling stuck - 2003 yamaha 60 - 4 strk

I just bought a used boat, took it out twice before buying it, and now that I have it at home, I want to check the oil before really running it. The problem is, the cowling is stuck, I pull the lever down, jiggle it, press down on cowling .........I've tried everything and cannot get it to budge. It's like the latch will not come loose. The latch also does not snug up as tight as it should, and the cowling when fully latched will move about an 1/8 inch if I lift on it. Any suggestions??????????