: For next time you might want to glue the forms to the inside of the hatch
: before you cut it out. That way there is no issue of getting it into the
: right curvature before glueing them in.

: Ric

Another cause for hatches not fitting well can be that the deck tends to spring out when you pull the staples. You fiberglass it and cut the hatches, then the shear gets pulled back into place when you join the hull and the deck. This gives you different radii on the deck proper and the hatches.

I have had to make cuts on the backside of the hatch to about 3/4 depth in order to bend the hatches into place. Use a handsay and go carefully to avoid cutting through near the edges.

I filled the slots with schmutz, put a strip of packing tape over them, and taped the hatches in place until the epoxy set. After that, apply a layer of glass and fill coats as normal. The saw kerfs with epoxy filler are not objectionable to me when compared to having the edges of the hatch sticking up.