> the only problem is my hatches
> are not water tight. With the cambered deck on the Chesapeake the
> hatch cover needs to match the deck shape. Unfortunately my hatch
> covers appear a bit warped so there is not adequate compression of
> the gasket material.

> Any easy fixes? (any good suggestions for making the hatch covers?-I
> made a jig to bend the hatch and hold the curved frame in place to
> epoxy - came out well but slightly warped)

Since you have some hatch covers made, go with what you have. For sealing irregular pieces I've heard of good results from using liquid silicone sealer. It has the consistency of caulking compound. You squirt it generously into the area where you want a seal, lay a piece of Saran Wrap on top, and gently put the hatch in place. You put just enough pressure on it to force the silicone to fill the high and low areas, and let it sit until the silicone cures. A day should do it. Where the silicone was applied directly to the wood it should stick. The saran should have kept it from sticking to the hatch lid, though. Open the hatch, remove the saran, keep it open until the vinegar smell goes away, then put the hatch back on and be happy. Your custom molded seal should just need a small amount of additional pressure to seal tightly.

A pair of wedges or a small blocks of wood between the straps and the hatch cover will concentrate the pressure over the seal.

> My gasket material is 'truck hatch gasket' - any better suggestions?
> Plus how thick and wide should the gasket material be? (multiple rings
> of thinner material or just one of 3/8' thick by 3/4' wide?)

All kinds of foam gasket material out there. appliance repair stores have hollow rubber gaskets like those used on refrigerator doors. If you are not using silicone, I'd look at a single thick piece of material as opposed to building up thinner stock. Unless you can use something like contact cement or rubber cement to laminate several thin pieces into a thick one, I envision a potential for leakng between the layers of loose gasket material -- and if one layer goes adrift then you have no seal at all.

> I'm going to have to change my hatch hold down straps (not enough
> compression with shock cord) - does everyone have good luck with webbing
> and buckles?

Why not some type of screw fastener? A block of wood on the inside with a stainless T nut embedded in it, and connected by a short stainless bolt to a knob on the outside of the boat can be used like a clamp to draw the hatch cover tightly onto the boat.

Paul Jacobson