: Finally, I'm nearing completion. I cut out my hatches as Nick suggests but I
: like the way Ross Leidy put the shock cords inside the boat to secure
: them. I was wondering if there are any other "quick and easy"
: ways of holding the hatches on similar to Ross'? Also, this is going to
: sound dumb but Nick doesn't really mention it in the book (or I missed
: it), now that I have this "good enough" job done with the epoxy
: (it's all nice and shiny), do I have to sand this before varnishing? If
: so, should I wet sand, sand with 120 grit, I just don't know. Your advice
: is greatly appreciated.

The shock cords work and look nice, but sometimes they're a pain to get on and off. You might try the "moby" latches, which seem to be effective and easier to use. Do a search on this site for them.
Yes you should sand before varnishing, use 120 or 150 grit. Then use 300 or 400 wet grit between coats of varnish.

Charles Robinson