Hi Gary,

sorry I didn't put all the details in the first place. I thought it was obvious. well, I guess it was just obvious to me.

Ross was my inspiration (too) for the hatch bungies. He wrote some article a while ago. I think it was for "notes from our shop" by clc, I read it & my opinion about it was positive. well, it's not positive anymore.

the hatch covers are hard to remove & install because of the tension of the bungies. but I can't reduce the tension because I need it to pull the cover against the neoprene. but don't loose your scale here, it's hard to place & remove the covers, but it's not a BIG deal, it's a LITTLE deal. It's something I would live with if it would seal, but it doesn't. so hell with it.

(think about another advantage: I can contradict Ross without starting a war 8-) )

The catch is.... that probably many builders are using the bungy system, & I didn't hear any problems about leaks.... so what did I do wrong ? I don't know 8-/ but it's in my web page, so check it out, maybe you'll find something. Let me know.

I don't have time & scanner to mess with images in my site right now, so look in Ross's site for the complete description. My bungies are very similar to his, as far as the position in the hull.

I used 4 wooden hooks on every cover, & not 2, like Ross did. no big deal.

I do have in my page the images & description of the wooden hooks, so check it out & email (or post here) if you have questions.

I recommend pygmy's locking system, they are nice & flat & the lock itself is stainless steel. I didn't installed them though, yet ! just got them yesterday. pygmy charged me $30 for the strips & fittings & screws & all the little parts.

another advantage of the pygmy system is that they have 3 locks on every hatch, so it fits my survivability theory: if one lock per hatch breaks, you can still make it with 2.

I hope the attached image works. It shows the tools I used for the wooden hooks, & the wooden hooks on different stages during their creation.

Erez

: I was planning on using Ross's system on my wife's Coho as well. Please tell
: me more about your experience with it. Why are they hard to remove?
: Bungies too tight? How did you make the finger divot in the plywood? I'm
: just getting around to gluing up the deck seams tonight. Bought some
: hardware for the skeg today. Tomorrow I'll purchase the hose for the
: control cable.

: Thanks,

: Gary B.