Hi All-

Some of you may remember my post a while back about gaskets for screw-out Beckson hatches, where I discovered via Bryan Nystrom that it actually was SUPPOSED to have a gasket. It didn't come with one.

So I finally gave a call to Beckson yesterday and I learned a couple of things. First is, ABS deck plates should come with a gasket. Second is, Polypropylene deck plates do not, but they are softer and don't technically need them. They do have provisions to accept one, should you decide to have one.

They do not recommend polypropylene for kayaks because they're too soft, and tend to deform and get softer over time. The are primarily produced for OEM boat manufacturers, and I was told that the owners of these boats generally end up replacing them with ABS deck plates after a short service life.

They felt that screw-out hatches were the way to go for kayaks. They are actually used as OE on commercial floor-cleaning equipment because they will hold a strong vacuum. This is what makes them sometimes difficult to remove, the same as that first time taking the top off a jar of jelly. They make a lexan key that fits the recesses in the deck plate that allows you to get more torque on the hatch. It's not listed on the web site, so they said to write that you want one in the comments section on the order form and they'll take care of it.

And on a customer service note, they're sending me a replacement gasket for free even though I bought the hatch a couple years ago and didn't put it into service until this summer. I'd use their hatches again.

I would be interested in hearing from people who have used pry-out hatches and how they have felt about their performance over time.

m