Hi Rene,

If you don't want to cut the deck but leave it clean at least recognize the need for a perimeter line or painter to facillitate grabbing the kayak or something for those being resued to have something to grab onto when being rescued by you in a conventional t-rescue.

If you were going hatchless I'd only do the front hatchless and a conventional sized rear hatch and bulkhead. The lack of clutter can be achieved by a flush hatch and the hatch holdown of your choice, cams, internal,etc. At least this way the water being emptied out the the kayak can be done cleanly simply by lifting the bow.

In the wood boats I've had without hatches or only a rear hatch I've had a fair amount of waterstaining from leaving the float bag in entrapping water against the hull/deck, I'm lazy and think it won't matter to leave it in every once in a while. So a sea sock would make a low maintanence solution to that but I still wouldn't want to paddle without float bags if I didn't have bulkheads.

You can make the kayak, paddle it around with the appropriate flotation, practice rescues, and should you choose you can install hatches and bulkheads later.

The differerence between bulkheads and no bulkheads with large fitting float bags can be anywere from a few gallons to A LOT OF WATER. Do the rescues and decide.

I think it's worth having bulkheads and hatches although half my boats have been without or only a rear one.