:Hell I'd just glue some strips
:of 2" undirectional carbon under a transverse rib with the carbon
:extending to the edge of the hatch.

howdy lee,

you have the better experience and ideas than me in that you've done it multiple times and really know the issues and how much is really needed or not and how this stuff really works.

but i have read repeated posts about clc hatches being difficult to set absolutely flush and yet to seal at the same time. my guess is that (when not using setting sealant as the gastket to account for differences) two opposing issues happen when cutting out (or placing a cut deck) on these yaks.

the first is a slight gaping of the hole at the sides. this may/will INCREASE the local slope/curvature of the imagined deck if if was present here.

and the second is that when attaching ribs whether carbon or wood or even if total full depth, it is well nigh impossible to continue the intended curvature at the last 2 to 3 outside inches of the edge. look really carefully here and you'lll notice that the last few inches are flat.(i'm buying if i'm wrong - send yr address). usually there is no rib material at these edges - right where you really need it the most, cause thats where the gasket is.

so then using typical nonsetting gaskets, they have to over come this double curvature whammy by really soft compression or large heavy duty strapping.

so what i'm thinking, is of methods that attack these two curvature issues as well as the further gasket problem presented.

for the flush continuous curvature, the idea of presetting the curvature and then cutting out. 2nd layer of ply is not necessary - could over lap w/ layers of glass and light core material say or multipble layeres of glas. could be masked from below using a sim techniquye as i talked about before.

and for a perfect gasket even if the curvatures are totally screwed - the setting sealant approach. it seems to me that the bent deck s&g is the most difficult yak of all to use a preset neoprene or other premade gasket strip.(that is UNLESS you use a formed glass flange which then accounts for any difference in curvature)

but i'm probably out of it, don't know.

-mick