> I put flush hatches on my CLC Chesapeake. I cut out the hatch openings and
> then epoxied two braces cut to the same arch as the deck to the underside
> each hatch. This kept them from flattening out when they were no longer
> under tension. In the hatch opening, I epoxied in a recessed lip. I put
> firm stickyback closed cell foam stripping on the lip and on the underside
> of the hatch to have a double overlapping seal. Stays watertight so far
> and looks good with the deck grain matching exactly.

Ditto.

I did mine exactly the same way, right down to the double overlapping seal. Randy doesn't mention it, but he probably did the same as I did, using a spacer between the bottom of the deck and the recessed lip. This allows room for the weatherstrip, so the hatch cover is perfectly flush, rather than slightly raised. Two slip-ups I made that you might be able to avoid: First, I could have been more careful in cutting a smooth outline when I cut out the hatch covers. Instead, there were some wiggly lines that I had to file down on both the cover and the perimeter, creating a larger gap than was necessary. Second, the braces I made to keep the front hatch cover curved to the right radius were too short. So it maintains the radius for most of its width, but flattens out a little at the edge. This makes it just a little less than flush. (Even so, I haven't experienced any problem with leakage.)

One last thing, give a little thought to the size and shape you want before you start cutting. I did and I'm glad. Both my hatches are larger than the plans call for, even after subtracting for the recessed lip. Some other contributors to the board have complained about the small size of the CLC hatches. This may be for structural reasons, but the spacer and lip provide reinforcement (and you can add more) when you go the flush route.

--Will