I put hatches on my touring baidarka, they work pretty well. http://dbynoe.blogspot.com/search/label/Sage
I use drybags for all my gear like paul said. I put the stuff in at the cockpit and shove them down the ends. I have a pair of full length floor boards to make this easy. The hatches let me pull the bags the last couple feet and get them firmly planted at the ends. Its significantly faster than loading a regular bulkheaded fiberglass boat.

If I was doing it again, I would mount the hatches off the centerline to one side. This would make it easier to store a paddle on the deck, and would also lighten the structure as I wouldn't need those bridge stringers on either side to replace the deck stringer that was cut in half. I was going for symmetry the first time but man, it would work so much better off centre.

The other plus to the hatches, I set them up so that between the pair of them and the cockpit I can stick my arm in and reach any point on the inside of the hull. Thought being if I ever punch a hole I can double up my patch material on the inside and outside. It also makes installing decklines at the far ends really easy.