> There are 2- 6" access
> ports- front and back-both are offset ,and are in lousy positions
> and interfere with deck lines and bungees that i would like to fill
> in and then put in Larger hatches to accomodate more gear--I would
> be placing the new hatches away from the old opening

So far it sounds simple enough.

> My plan would be to build a hatch template- lay the new hatch
> opening out --then cut it out of the deck so i have internal access--

This will give you a piece of the deck which should be an exact match with the rest of the deck --> wood, color and thickness -- and maybe grain. You can use this as part of your new hatches. Or.....

> then measure and cut a piece of ply to match the round 6" opening-and
> glass in place--using the opening for the new hatch to work thru--

If you are not using the material you cut out for your hatch covers for the new hatches, why not use them to fill in the holes from the access ports.

Whether you reuse these pieces, or use new wood for filling the old access ports, the repair can be simple. put your patching material on the deck and hold it temporarily in place with some tape. Reach inside the boat through that new hatch you have cut, and use a pencil to mark the outline of the access hole on your patching material. Now cut out the patch, but make sure you cut it about 1/4 inch larger than the lines you have marked.

On your patch piece, use a sander, plane or rasp to bevel the edge. You'll want to shape it so that the side of the patch that is visible (the outside) is wider than the side that faces the inside of the boat. If you cut the piece 1/4 inch bigger than the line on all sides, and work so the bevel goes from the line you drew on the inside, to the edge of the wood on the outside, then you should have a nice round piece that sits like a tapered plug in the access hole. It should be high. now take your rasp, plane, or sander, and gently enlarge the hole from the access port. Again you want to do this at an angle, tapering it so the outside is bigger than the inside. Do this gently, a bit at a time, and keep trying to fit the patch in place. As you widen the hole the plug will settle into place. Because of the taper it should not fall through. When you get it so that the patch sits level with the deck, glue the patch in place. By using a taper fit on the pieces you will not need to use anything under the deck to support the patch when it is installed, and you'll have a lot of margin for errors. If you overdo the beveling process, a wood chip or two inserted in the gap will raise the patch a bit. If the patch is a bit high when glued in, you can feather the edges and blend it into the hull's curvature with a sander. The beveled edge provides more glue surface for a stronger bond. If you want to add some filler to the epoxy to thicken it, go ahead. It probably won't be necessary.

> Would
> this need reinforced underneath--IE: cutting a larger circle and glassing
> in to place --then using the top circle as a filler?

No. the only reinforcing this should need is a layer of fiberglass cloth over the patch, and extending so that it covers an inch or two of the hull. Since this is inside the boat, you dont even need two coats of epoxy. No need to fill the weeve here. You may want to sand down any rough edges so they don't snag your gear, but that is about it. Of course the outside is finished like any patch. The old material is sanded to a feather edge. An overlapping piece of fiberglass cloth is set over it and covered with epoxy resin, and when the resin hardens, some judicious sanding blends that into the old hull. A few more coats of resin to fill the weave, some more sanding (did I ever mention that there is a lot of sanding involved?) and you can varnish or paint as desired.

> Then proceed with doing a rectangular or square hatch in the
> same manner as i have been reading about.

Yup.

> Does this sound like the correct procedure? Advice -comments-??
> Thanks again ya'll Steve

You are welcome. Send some pictures of the results. Paul Jacobson