Dean,

I used deck plates in the bulkheads on my Mill Creek 15. I put an 8" deck plate ($22) in front and a 6" plate (less then $10) in the aft bulkhead. See photos in my web page at: http://home.rochester.rr.com/rlm/kayak/Kayak_Page.htm or click on the link below.

The Mill Creek has a high cockpit so I was able to use the 8" plate in front. Also the open cockpit allows access to the front plate. This works very well. I can get a lot of gear in there.

The aft plate even at 6" is not useable for more than stowing a pair of shoes, camera, tent poles, etc.. Ironically, this is the higher volume compartment!

I am in the process of creating and installing an aft hatch to get around this. In hindsite, I should have gone this way in the first place.

When I was building the Mill Creek, I made some prototypes of more elaborate bulkhead hatches using plywood, weather stripping, and hinges that allowed more access but I did not feel they would be reliable from a sealing and strength perspective.

Does the place in Michigan you mentioned have a web site? Sounds like they found a way around the limitations of my approach.

Good luck,

Don