> How could you even get to your gear in the bow, I can't even tough my
> front bulkhead let along put gear in it! How many people have had their
> hatches fly off while paddling, this sounds like a very unlikely to
> happen.

I can get to my bulkhead because (a) I redesigned and installed it well aft of its design point and (2) I have long arms. Not a great way to travel.

As to departing hatches, been there --- but only as I was pitchpoling in dumping surf at Bethany Beach, Delaware. Lotsa fun! After doing a loop, the bow of my Pintail came down hard on the one piece of flat surface on the Atlantic that day and the compression in the hull blew the bow hatch right off. Fortunately, it was tethered and it wasn't deep --- two feet to eight feet to two feet to eight feet .... --- and I decided that the boat and I should not try to transit the soup together. It's a rare occurrence, but it happen. Tether !

Jack Martin