Hi all,

I'm trying to come up with an idea for a convenient day-hatch opening without using the somewhat unsightly VCP round rubber covers (which do seem to be the easiest solution, aesthetics aside). Could those of you who have built wood day hatches comment on your approach? What did you do? How well does it seal? How convenient is it to use? And is there anything you would change? I'd really appreciate any input and/or pictures you all can provide.

FYI, I'm thinking that I will seal the front and rear hatches via an internal guy (cable rigging & pulley) system that is rigged to either side of the hatch and runs through a hook (or loop) in the center of the hatch, then runs forward to the day hatch where some kind of ratcheted handle can tighten the cable to provide tension and, consequently, downforce on the hatches. One handle will tighten/release the rear hatch, and another handle will tighten/release the front hatch. By putting them in the day hatch, I can minimize the possibility that water will "bleed"/"seep" back through the cable tube and into the hatches. Consequently, I will need no external hardware to hold the hatches down, but will get a much more powerful, reliable seal than the "bungee" method of hold downs. Of course, I still need to come up with a way to access and seal the day hatch opening.

So far, I'm inclined to put a 180 deg. hinge on the aft edge of the day hatch so that, when opened, the day hatch can be flipped back to lay flat on the deck (out of the way). Then, on the fore edge of the day hatch cover, I would put some kind of knob or lever to seal the hatch, but this presents the problem of how to distribute sealing tension evenly over the whole hatch, as the hinges may prevent the hinged side from tensioning down very far. And, of course, there is the problem that a knob/lever will stick up from the deck.

Anyway, that's more than you probably wanted to know. But... HELP!

Wes