I agree, I keep a soft-sided cooler forward of my aft hatch. Besides, your arms are only so long, and it's hard to reach something small that has been pushed into the end without putting the boat on end to make it slide out.

Dean's 1' or 1 1/2' are nice distances.

One thing I don't like about my Chesapeake's hatches is that the front hatch is just too darned small to fit anything in. It will probably pass a plastic 1-gallon milk jug. You can fit skinny drybags into it, but long & skinny bags don't have enough height to turn the corner and slide forward.

Make sure your hatch is long enough.

Shawn

> I like my hatches a little bit more away from the bulkhead. That way, you
> don't have to pitch all your gear down one direction -- you can go both
> ways. I think that the hatches on my Outer Island are about 1' or 1 1/2'
> or so away from the bulkheads.

> Dean