> If you're not going to use the boats for more than daytripping, then I
> don't think you'll really need hatches. If you're planning to use the boat
> for overnight trips or longer, hatches might be a good idea. I think it
> would be a pain to dig out camping gear from the end of the boat through
> the cockpit.

To Shawn's point --- agreed that stowing a lot of gear through the cockpit might be difficult, although it can be done. (Completely and strongly agree with the majority of respondents that sealed bulkheads are really necessary in a sea-going kayak.) There are combination flotation/storage bags available for that purpose.

Getting off the core question a little, in the CLC North Bay that I'm building --- a very low volume Greenland design --- there's no "storage space" at all. The design does not include hatches, but the kit includes two four inch deckplates, one each for the forward and aft bulkheads. By moving the forward bulkhead aft about six inches (and scaling it up proportionately and increasing the structure to six mil okume) I've decreased the amount of area which can be flooded and, therefore, has to be pumped out, given the boat the structure I felt necessary to mount a Henderson Chimp footpump, and made it easier to reach the four inch deckplate in the forward bulkhead --- and still kept it very comfortable for my 6' 2" frame. (Am using a foam block fitted around the pump as a footrest.) I also beefed up the structure of the aft bulkhead because I'm using another carved-out foam block as a backrest which is mounted directly against the bulkhead. With this design, I will be able to pack several of my long, thin dry bags (thoroughly "burped") in the after "storage" area and possibly one or two through the forward deckplate. Not exactly a Nordkapp, but I think it'd serve on an occasional basis for lunch and dry clothing, anyway. A two week trip on anything but a survival basis is probably way out of the question!

But this configuration at least give a skinny boat paddler --- that's the boat, not the paddler --- some options.

Jack Martin