: I just saw on a Paddlewise post by Alex Ferguson from New Zealand, that a
: lot of S&G builders where he lives build a rim around their hatches which
: they cover with neoprene as a back-up for the wood hatches. This sounds
: interesting. Has anybody seen this or done it to their boat? Any pics or
: ideas on building up the rim?

It is also good for anchoring a sea sock to, if you want to take little people out for a paddle. That is the main reason I did my rear hatch this way.
You can do it pretty much like a mini CLC cockpit combing. On my boat from the top, there is a 4mm ply rim about 30mm wide, then three 4mm ply spacers, then the deck. I set up the spacers and gasket so that the hatch is recessed into the spacers, flush with the top of the rim when it is clamped down using a locking bar and knob arrangement similar to Eric Schades.
Given that my rear hatch hisses at me on a hot day when I loosen off the knob I reckon it is water tight enough without the extra cover over the top, but if you want some extra insurance it is hard to beat.
There is a lot of strength in the hatch rim so I left out the rear deck beam to compensate for the added weight.
I didn't (and wouldn't) do the front hatch this way to minimise the splash factor, and while I dont think it looks out of place on the rear deck it does look a bit bulky up front IMO.
The joys of building your own.

Pete
Just down the road from Alex a bit !