I was having trouble at first with some hatch hardware coming loose while driving down the road.... fortunately, not all three straps at a time. I solved it by tightening the straps (Not *too* tight, otherwise it risks breaking something... but you'll be able to tell if you're getting to that point, because you won't be able to flip that cam buckle over without putting REAL downward pressure on the hatch.) If it's too loose, there won't be enough tension on that little rectangular plastic piece that slides over the end of the metal cam buckle to hold it down... and then the hatches will pop open if you do anything more than look at them from a distance.

Meanwhile..... I'm also all ears for a better solution.

Julie Kanarr

: I'm about fed up with the Pygmy hatch hardware. Orginally, I thought it was a
: bit ugly, but probably functional, so I went with the specs and built
: everything to the plans on our two Terns. Things were fine until we
: started trying reentries. The damn latches catch on everything, and a
: swipe of the foot will undo them too easily. More of a pain in the ***
: during practice, but a hazard in real conditions. Has anyone else had
: similar experiences? What possibilities would you all suggest for retro
: fit. I'd be game for "Leidy" type hatches, but that would be a
: lot of work (I would want to grind off the "knobs" on the hatch
: covers). Are there better buckle options? I was considering the cinch type
: like our NRS straps have.

: Thanks for any ideas.

: Bill Price