: Hi all!

Small world. I am thinking of the same set up for my Tern. I am just getting ready to put in the bulkhead. I thought of the same sort of "bulkhead hatch" concept but I have since changed my mind. I am going with a 8" beckson screw in style "inspection port" that will be installed in the bulkhead. It is very waterproof and easier to install than something I could custom make. Since it is on the inside and behind the seat I am not worried about looks. I will limited to storage of items that can fit through the 8" opening, but if think about your available space with a bulkhead hatch you may find this is close to the maximum anyway. Keep in mind the hip braces limit your hatch side to side.

In case you want to stick with all wood and custom made, here is how I thought I would make my bulkhead hatch: Make up the bulkhead blank to fit inside your boat then trace around it on another piece of marine plywood and cut out a copy of the blank. Now you have two bulkheads. Install one of them as you would normally. Now cut out the the center of this bulkhead leaving a 1" wide rim around the outside. I intended to drill 4 -6 holes in this rim that would correspond with holes in the hatch cover. Put your weatherstrip gasket around this rim. Your second bulkead blank becomes your hatch. You can use knobs or wingnuts on the bolts to hold that hatch cover to the rim through the holes you drilled. the trick I found with this set up is that you have to plan it small enough so you can get the hatch cover in and out easily.

Assume you already are using a sea sock since you do not have bulkheads now. That would be important without a front bulkhead.

Good luck.

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Am really enjoying my Arctic Tern and would like to have bulkheads, but don't
: want to cut hatch openings on the deck. I'm thinking that I could use a
: watertight bag in the bow for storage and flotation and build a bulkhead
: behind the seatback. I'm envisioning a Okoume frame and hatch with a
: closed foam gasket and some sort of thumb latch arrangement to make the
: seal. Any suggestions out there?

: David

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