> Bill, I'm not sure I follow this one. Looks like a claw arrangement on one
> end of the hatch cover, with a pull-down internal line on the other end,
> closer to the cockpit? So that as you pull the one end down with the line,
> the claw pulls the other end tight?

Yes Don youv'e got the idea but the claw end has some drawbacks it must be adjusted with shims where it contacts under the deck and also as the gasket is compressed for a period of time that end of the cover looses sealing capability and it also makes removal of the rear cover difficult while in the cockpit as the other end has to be lifted for the claw to clear the recessed hatch lip in the deck, i'm going to remove the "claw" and put a latch at the other end of the opening and route the line around behind the existing latch with copper or plastic line epoxied under the deck and connect it to the existing bungee (which is used to supply constant tension) then use a small pulley on the line from the cockpit , I will probably replace the existing piece of wood on the hatch cover with a single piece of 1/2" x 7/8" with the incline on each end, epoxied to the bottom fo the cover on edge to stiffen the hatch cover more ( I used 1/8" thick strips to build the boat). I think this arrangement will work better.

Thankyou for your interest to the ideas of someone with too much time on his hands ,I have to go on another scavenger hunt to see what I can recycle.

later Bill