> Anyhow, I'm wondering who has done it, if it works well, if theres a
> simple way to make hatches that I haven't heard of, and if bulkheads with
> hatches would not be good for several day trips.

> -Matt

Consider a bulkhead hatch for storage behind the cockpit. Make sealed air chambers for positive flotation at both bow and stern.

Between the sealed air chamber in the bow and the cockpit you can store your gear in waterproof bags. You can also add float bags to reduce the amount of water that will fill the cockpit should you capsize.

Between the sealed air chamber in the stern and the cockpit you can make a nice sealed storage area. The bulkhead hatch will be right at the wide area in back of your seat, and much more accessible than a bulkhead hatch down by your toes.

There is no reason you can't make both bulkhead and deck hatches to make access to a storage area convenient, and to allow good ventilation should you need to dry them.

You can make deck hatches after the deck is attached to the hull, and you can use the material you cut out of the deck as the hatch cover. A few things to consider: You will want to make the saw cut as neat as possible, and as thin as possible. Sanding will always make that opening bigger, and the hatch piece smaller, and give you a bigger seam to fill.

Trace the design or shape of the hatch on your deck and cut it carefully with a saber saw or hand saw and a thin saw blade. You can start the cut with a series of small holes (1/16th inch drill bit) on the line you want to cut. Remove the panel. Make a step for the hatch to seal against and glue (and screw?) that inside the boat, allowing room for a compressible seal. Add a latch or lashing straps to hold the hatch cover in place.

Latching and sealing techniques are varied. You might want to try making a sample from scrap plywood first (off the boat). Generally you want a lip about 1/8 to 1/4 inch below the bottom of your hatch and a compressible sealing material that is a bit thicker (so it will compress) applied to that lip. Wingnuts, bolts, thumbscews, cams, latches, or other hardware can be used to draw the hatch tight and compress the sealing material. There will be a gap where teh saw blade cut out some wood to make the hatch. You can put in a thin strip of wood veneer to fill that gap, or put on a few coats of resin and a bit of glass cloth to build up the edge. Sand off any excess when the resin hardens and you'll have a thin line showing where you made your cut, but you can rebuild those edges to make good fit.

Hope this helps.

Paul Jacobson