Mike, you be The Man! I like your idea quite a bit: simple, elegant and reliable. I'll go back and chase down the archive reference and cogitate a while on it. Ya know, the triple thread SS screws just aren't around... *sigh*

cheers, it's off to the garage for a round of laminating maple strips onto the coaming for the spray skirt, followed with Ross Leidy laminated ash deck fittings only with mahogany strips to match the deck...

Tig

: My guess is that the flat flange w/ silicone or urethane sealant method would
: be best for the bolts as the seal could go around them. I would place the
: hatch and drill right thru both hatch and flange for alignment and then
: ream out the flange to accept the t-nuts. If you make your hatch dble
: thickness, you could drill say a 3/4in round hole thru the top layer
: switching to a 1/4in hole thru the last(assuming 1/4in bolts), and
: cover(epoxy in) the bolt head w/ a 3/4in round of cedar w/ a slot(for a
: screwdriver, coin etc)(or use an allen! head and leave the hole open) so
: it is essentially hidden.

: See my 'fittings reprise' post last yr on the convertible fittings and assume
: the hidden covers are hatch screws.

: It sure would be neat to find a source for triple threaded ss screws, nuts.
: One or two turns and out.

: -mick