Hello Bob,
I am finishing a similar style kayak now and the hatches are recessed and oval. Many kits and plans use this method. Basically you take care and cut the hatch cover right from the deck panel. An interior ring is epoxied to the underside of the deck to act as a flange for the hatch cover to seal against. You place window or door weatherstripping around the hatch perimeter to make it as watertight as possible. The method of keeping the hatch cover in place varies from exterior web straps to interior bungies. My particular project calls for two wood toggles that are operated by bolt/washer/nut combos. You simply put the hatch in place, depress slightly and turn each knob until the wood toggles rotate into position under the flange thereby keeping the hatch shut and hopefully watertight. The kayak I am building is featured in the 1994 fall issue of Sea Kayaker magazine which you can order. Here is a link to that same article but without the offsets for building... http://www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/mag/42/greenlandkayak.html
If you go there you will see and read all the information I had to build my hatches with. Also there is a link below to my small page where you can also see the hatches although they were not finished at the time. I have now finished them but with a small modification to the author's design. Instead of using brass flat bar as a turning mechanism I substituted bent fender washers because it was simple and easier/cheaper than flat bar to obtain.

Good luck with your proposed project, I hope this will help.

--Tony

: I'm considering my first kayak to build. The Queen charlotte from Pygmy is
: appealing to me. My question is: has anyone found a watertight solution
: for hatches other then the black Valley product Pygmy sells. One of my two
: factory made boats has Valley hatches, and I know they work well, but they
: don't blend very well with a wood boat. Anyone found another solution?
: Thank you for your time..

: Bob Babin

: Minneapolis

: BobBabin@hotmail.com