: Hi Folks,

: I'm having a recurring problem with my stock Pygmy hatches (well actually
: only the front hatch). The hatch seals exceptionally well and after the
: boat has been in the water (i.e., colder temps) the hatch is nearly
: impossible to get open. I've been carrying a dime in my pocket and using
: that to pry the hatch enough for some air to get in, but I'm worried that
: I may eventually damage the edge of the hatch.

: Has anyone found a solution for this?

Definitely go with a 1/16 hole. I also couln't get hatches off,prehole, and the reason I really wanted to get them off was after a rainstorm (quick cool), it looked like the vacuum might cave the hull/deck in! I drilled the hoele right then just to relieve the vac- dabbed it with epoxy later to coat the wood,making sure the hole is clear.

Also, after about the third time I picked up the boat and had the unsecured hatches clatter onto concrete (duh), I installed interior straps about a foot long to keep them from hitting the ground,as well as blowing away while car topping in the unlikely event I don't have them secured. A male/female plastic buckle lets you disconnect the hatch for whatever reason. The deck end of the strap is anchored to any of the screws holding bungie fittings. How to hide the screw you need to attach the interior strap to the hatch? Put a small loop of webbing on the top side of the hatch, with a screw and fabric washer. There's your grab handle for the hatch, which even with the vacuum breaker, can still require a good tug to pull away from gasket after sitting a while.