> I have my hatches cut and am just about ready to fiberglass the lip. I
> seem to remember reading a posting that said to place a piece of cardboard
> on the outside of the hatch cover and then tape the cover in place. This
> would recess the cover a little to compensate for the additional height
> created by the gasket. The thickness of the gasket would determine the
> thickness of the cardboard. Have I got this right? I was looking at some
> 7/16" gasket material from CLC and would guess this would compress
> down to about 3/16". Also, is it wise to fill the crack between the
> hatch cover and the hull with wax to keep resin from filling it when you
> fiberglass the lip? My first boat and I'm a little gun-shy. Thanks in
> advance. Hi larry, You are correct on both accounts. I can't help with the thickness to account for the CLC gasket material, I chose to make my gaskets from silicone caulk. By using the caulk you can control the thickness when you replace the hatch back in place and can get it real flush. Cardboard is just a suggestion. You can use anything as long as the end result places the hatch a little deeper in the hole. I used wax to fill the gaps before I glassed the lip.