> Which is the preferred method: silicone or the foam/neoprene gasketing
> material? I am planning on flush hatches with neoprene on my Outer Island,
> as per Jay's instructions, but had forgotten about silicone until this
> post.

> Thoughts? Does anyone have direct experience with both?

> Dean

Hi Dean, I don't have experience with both but, I have been told the silicone make a good water tight seal and seemed to be the easiest way to get a seal with a flush hatch. I did recess the hatch a little when I made the lip in order to take in the tickness of the seal. it work pretty well. I talked with a guy at the rendezvous that used a neoprene gasket who indicated that on hot days the seal was so tight from the the air temp inside the boat that sometimes it was hard to open. That sonds like a tight seal! either way I'm sure is fine I used silicone because it seemed easy to get a gasket that conforms to the hatch well, with a flush hatch. Not having the gasket material on hand to measure the thickness when I created the hatch lip also came in to play.