reinforcing the back deck is an easy and satisfying thing to do. A square foot of 6 oz cloth weighs very little. If you want to do the back hatch a little differently, making a ressessed ring out of 3mm ply,with the forward section y shaped( my hatch was round) to make a shear to shear reinforcement at the forward edge of the hatch. A layer of glass tape over(or under depending on perspective)that reinforcement makes a strong back deck. So it isn't a CLC deck,guillemot deck,pygmy deck, its wood, glue , fiberglass. It's whatever you need for what you are paddling.