John, I guess it may have been easier if I had just asked the question I need answered. I remember the process fairly well but I was pretty sure the cover was not cut out of the deck until after the fiberglass layers were built up. I am thinking a foam strip of maybe 1/2" wide by 3/8" high was used for the "form" during the layup then removed and a 1/2" wide by 5/8" strip was used permanently.
The problem is, without removing the hatch from the deck first, how do I know where to stick down the sacrifical weather stripping being used as a pattern?
My only thought so far is to make a paper pattern from the layout of the hatch on the top of the deck. Drill a couple small locating holes through the paper and the deck then match the paper to the holes on the bottom side of the deck. Sounds a little crude to me but the best I got so far . . . . that leaves me holes to patch no matter how small I drill them . . .