: Suction cups might work if you wait for the varnish to cure
: completely and you get a nice glossy finsih for them to grip to.
: You'll need to cary sustion cups with you, so consider where you
: will store them--certainly not inside the hatches they are meant
: to open!

: You know, you can weaken the effect of the magnets holding the
: hatches closed if you put another magnet near your hatch seals.
: Get the orientation of the second magnet correct and glue it to
: your suction cup with a flexible Goop. The combination of
: reduced magnetic pull and suction may make it a snap to pop open
: those hatches.

: If you are going to carry extra devices for opening the hatches,
: why not just carry a wooden hatch key? Shape your hatches with a
: wide lip at one side, ans slip a crowbar-shaped piece of wood in
: there as a lever. Easily replaced with a quickly-whittled branch
: if you lose the original lever, and any marks they might make
: will be to the underside of that lip, so not visible when the
: hatch is attached.

: PGJ

Thanks Paul, I like the idea of the key. I can pry the hatches up with a blade too, but your idea sounds better. I might try the key idea if the suction cups end up being a pain. Of course, these boats are for a customer so I'm sure I'll hear about it if it is! The finish on these boats is 2 part poly, so they will be quite hard in about 4 days of curing. The suction cup will hopefully work!

BK