> That's great! I'm very interested that someone's tried it (silicone caulk)
> because it seems to me the best way to get an absolutely flush result. And
> its definately the way I'm going to put access hatches in my kayak. An
> added benefit is that you can surround any other type of fittings and
> still get a seal.

A simple fitting example here would be a series of dzus fasteners. The sealant would just set up tight around the tenon sticking up!

There are a multitude of different ways to incorporate these, but I think approaches using "blind dzus" would be the most interesting. Just slide in the pins radially in little grooves in the hull (best would be aligned w/ the strip glue lines). Or a tangential mounting method in the hatch/hull joint line might be a fairly invisible option also.

I've been racking my brains trying to come up with an invisible method that doesn't use internal ropes, bungees, etc.(as you're screwed if they get tangled up), and these variations of the previously talked about slip hinge approach seem the most likely candidates so far.(for me)

-Mick