: Secondly lots talk about reenforcing the hatches so they don't
: warp, bill you talk about just adding extra glass how much? I am
: using the 3.2 now there is two layers outside and only one
: inside. thanks Do most people use kurts way of making wooden
: reenforcments that incorperate the hold downs for internal
: bungees?

I was getting a bit pressed for time before launch day and haven't reinforced it as yet. I had run a fillet along the top seam of the forward deck before glassing it, which increased the thickness at that quite peaked seam, and the hatch is fairly small so the lid is very strong. I plan to add a batten across it to ensure it doesn't warp. Bill's advice to leave the hatch lids when not in use I think makes a lot of sense too.

: Third and finally hatch gaskets I understand the fiberglass ring to
: be built for the lip but no one really talks about the gasket
: sizes. As in the first size gasket for the layup and then the
: final gasket for when it is finished. I would really like a this
: size by this size sort of reply as I don't want to guess on the
: one, I would just like to do it once and have it work.

I found some 3/16" thick neoprene which worked very well for making the glassed lips. And some 5/16" closed cell foam for the gasket. I am pleased to report that the seal works very well, much better than I expected. When I remain upright, the water running over the deck does not leak in at all. (When I capsize - usually unintentional - a bit sometimes gets in.)

One other thing - when I stripped the bulkheads, I ran the strips across ways. I should have run them vertically. My weight sitting on the rear deck broke the bulkhead. I was probably being a bit heavy handed, but it still broke it.

Cheers, Ian