: So the head of the bolt is on the inside/snug against the T nut? And the
: other end of the bolt extends through the hatch cover and out the center
: of the handle/knob? Wow, that's pretty neat. Presumably there is a nut in
: the knob too. So you turn the handle several times and the hatch tightens
: down as the bolt snugs down? I like it. Would you do it the same way next
: time or are you looking at enhancements?

Chip,

Yes, you got the picture. Yes, I would do it exactly the same. I just day paddle so I don't haul a lot of stuff. The seat back has the quick release buckles and I only have to undo one side to flip the back up on the deck to get it out of the way. The only disadvantage with bulkhead hatches is I sometimes have to lift the end of the kayak and shake it to get stowed stuff to move to the hatch.

It is nice to have the hatches out of the way. I prefer to do self-rescues by belly crawling the length of the rear deck and it is nice not to compromise my masculinity on the hatch hardware (or a rudder). I can be back inside in less time than it takes to blow up a paddle float.

The end of the bolt is epoxied flush straight to the football knob, so there is no nut there. I did file a flat side on the end of the bolt where it is epoxied to avoid any chance of it trying to spin loose from the knob.

There is also a SS washer epoxied to the back of the knob and one epoxied to the front of the hatch cover to give some clearance between the knob and the cover and to smooth the action.

This model of kayak (Yare) is very tender (look how round the bottom of the bulkhead is) and I usually paddle by myself so I only use it in bays or within swimming distance of the beach. I don't go into the ocean when the offshore winds are blowing. I paddle in SoCal in a wet suit. So with these cautions I left off the deck rigging. This yak does not belong in the open ocean with me paddling it so there is no need for rigging. It sure is fast in the bays.