: Just wondering: Perhaps I should build only one hatch in the back of the boat
: for small things that need to be dry or for things easily accessible
: without having to get out of the boat. For the front hatch space why not
: just use the dry bags and load them through the cocpit? The cocpit is
: bigger than a hatch opening so loading will be easier. I'm thinking that
: the view on the nicely finished deck will be more pleasurable.

: I'm looking for opinions on pros and con's to my idea.

I just finished a 9 day kayak trip on the Missouri River in MT... My newly built Pygmy Coho doesn't have hatches (my previously built Arctic Tern does.) I have a collapsible Walrus couch that doesn't fit through a hatch-- but does fit in the stern compartment, so I didn't build hatches ...and did the load-through-the-cockpit action for the Coho. Loading the stern is easy... loading dry bags into the bow through the cockpit is a MAJOR pain. I tied a line on the bag that went in first, which eased removal, but since all of the cargo goes ahead of the footpegs where it is tough to reach, it is difficult to maneuver multiple dry bags in there, and a lot of "tuckable" space is lost. I also had to pay attention that I didn't knock a footpeg out of position while loading.

If you're not planning to do long trips where you need to utilize your space efficiently, it's not an issue.... my experience is that it is much, much easier to load through the cockpit into the stern than into the bow...and I do not want to ever have to do the load-the-bow through the cockpit action again! (my trip partner agrees). I'm now planning to cut a front hatch & install a front bulkhead in the Coho-- and leave the stern hatch-free (for the couch!), using float bags and installing a 3 inch mincell foam & plywood removable bulkhead "plug" in the stern to use when I'm not loaded to the hilt with gear.

Julie Kanarr