: I like the comments made regarding the 1/4" wide gasket
: material versus wider stuff, as my own experience seems to bear
: it out. On my second OI I'm using either 3/8" or 1/4",
: can't really recall offhand (although the boat's within fifteen
: feet of me here in camp right now, but strapped on the racks and
: I'm too lazy to go look). A couple of notes:

: I also like internal bungees. I had a knot slip and there was
: scarcely enough tension to make the bungee stay on the hook, yet
: the seal was watertight as ever, and even stayed on at highway
: speed while riding the racks. Yeah, I'm a colossal DA
: sometimes..... Anyway, the pressure required is surprisingly
: light if the arrangement has been carefully put together.

: I add Redfish/Greenley style soft padeye webbing loops to my hatch
: covers to make 'em easy to pop open. Align the loop with the
: "slipstream" so they don't splash. In the photo below
: you can see the bottom end of the soft padeye in the hatch lid.
: It also tells me which way the cover goes on.

: If you can't get the hatches to stop leaking, we can always get
: Tony Olsen to trot out his spiel on silicone counter-seals.

: No hatches are 100% watertight in my world. None. The VCP's on my
: 'Kapp come close, but the homemade articles give 'em a run for
: the money when done right. I was going to use VCP/Kajak Sport
: "rubba bubbas" on this boat, except I finally decided
: they were too heavy, too expensive, and too ugly to use on a
: pretty lightweight stripper.

: http://mysite.verizon.net/NGC704/newOI/Page_9.htm

I'm curious what you're using as the brace/stiffener/hook for the underside of the hatch covers. I've used plywood - it shouldn't warp - but it's not too attractive. Kurt looks like he used a solid wood and carved it; any warpage with that? What wood would you suggest that would be that stable? And getting the shape 'just so' has been a headache - following the nearest forms only gets you so close. I've 'filled the gap' using saturated fg cloth, but a bit less elegant, maybe, than what is possible.