: Like the other said, no hatches and flat bags is an option. My
: latest customer is going that route for his Wahoo FSK build. No
: decklines either... Fully rigged with Nelo seat and steering
: hardware from a damaged Viper it should weigh under 30 pounds.

: If you still decide to go with flush hatches, I wouldn't worry
: much. The hatch lids themselves will be fine. On my race layups
: I usually use a single layer of 3.2oz tight weave E or S (if I
: can find it) on each side. You shouldn't need a huge amount of
: tension on the bungees to compress the gasket material.

: Concerning the deck: the lip you form on the deck to hold the hatch
: lid adds a surprising amount of stiffness to the deck. A couple
: of stiffener beams made out of cedar, laminated with some
: uni-carbon, placed either side of the hatches can also be added
: to further stiffen the deck.

The boats are so skinny I think I'd still want a single line down the centerline, if the paddler does end up in the water the boats can be awfully slippery to try to hang onto.

Bill H.