> I am nearly ready to attach my deck (on a Pygmy). A local boatbuilder
> suggested that I cut the hatches before attaching the deck. Part of his
> reasoning was that it's much easier to fillet in inside shear seam through
> the cutout than through the coaming opening.But I know Pygmy suggests that
> you complete everything before adding bulkheads and hatches. Also, it
> seems to me like it would be better to cut out after it has been glassed.
> I'd appreciate any suggestions. Nancy

I built a Pygmy Arctic Tern and had no problems doing the inside shear fillets with the syringe-on-an-eight-foot-sitck method. Even if you had access through a hatch opening, the end of the boat is still a good 4 feet away. Unless you're Stretch Armstrong, you're going to have to use some sticks anyway.

If you cut the hatches first, you would have the additional step of glassing the hatch covers separately. I'm not sure that the the hatches would have the same profile as the deck. If you glassed first, you're guaranteed that the hatch covers will match the deck exactly (this is one of Pygmy's selling points.) I was a bit too eager to get out on the water this spring, so I completed the boat without hatches and sent the hatch and bulkhead kit back -- maybe I'll add it this winter...

Dean