I have been going through the process of fitting flush hatches to my Chesapeake 16 and I have come across a problem with the front hatch. I know I can fix this problem with a little persistence and using the trial and error method but I thought somebody out there in kayak building land may have a quicker and more reliable way of fixing the problem.

I have used the templates for the sheer clamps to get the correct (or what I thought was the correct) radius in the hatch to match the radius in the deck but it seems the deck has a tighter radius than I anticipated. I have since taken the stiffener off the back of the hatch and tightened the radius but not enough it seems, as I said I could continue to do this until I get the radius correct but there must be an easier way.

I have since made a template off the deck of the kayak and I will use this for my next attempt, I just thought there may be someone who has been through this before me and may be able to give me a tip or hint to make my life a little easier.

I have attached a photo showing the problem also a link to my kayaking site that has just been updated.

Thanks Tony