I second Jack's hatch tether comments. It is a good idea to have some kind of line attaching the hatch to the boat. When I use shock-cord for a hold-down I put a padeye on the hatch so it is always attached to cord. I have also glued a padeye on the inside of the hatch and deck and just run some light parachute cord between them.

> Wow, what a beautiful boat. Makes me feel a little silly worrying about my
> one piece, non-hatched CLC North Bay deck!

> But speaking as a kayaker and not much of a woodworker, don't you guys
> tether your deck hatchs? As one who's paddled in a lot of different water
> conditions and transported boats half way across country and back, I'd
> never take my boat out without some sort of tethering system for my
> hatches --- either slidelock buckles and straps or some sort of
> perlon-type light line to make sure that, should the hatch come loose, it
> wouldn't be lost. Is this not a "wood boat" thing?

> Jack Martin