Rod,

You may want to consider putting flush hatches with internal bungie holddowns, in it. They have a nice clean look to them. Ross Leidy made them popular on this board. Joe Greenley gave them the name Leidy Lids. For more info check out Ross's website he tell how to do it at http://ross.secant.com/kayak/buildingInfo/holddowns.htm

Can you spot the hatches in the picture below? They are there!

I'm thinking about putting some in my Arctic Tern this week. I've got a camping trip next weekend, and would love to have hatches and bulkheads before then.

I've heard that seasocks can be uncomfortable and hot. I've found that just using float bags alone is kind of a hastle, tying the bow bag in without leaving a line that won't ever catch your feet is difficult.

Mike

: I'm just installing the coaming on a Coho S&G, and am having real doubts,
: mostly esthetic, about cutting hatches in. Any experience out there with
: the no-bulkhead,sea-sock approach? I've read that flotation bags allow
: much more water in than bulkheads in a capsize, but a seasock allows less
: than bulkheads. Is depending on a fabric bag safe (holes, coming off the
: coaming). Is it a real pain to have stow items from the cockpit, have them
: potentially shifting around? I've just paddled a few times. While I like
: to think I will overnight in the future, I'll be doing all day trips for a
: good while, and mostly day trips in any case.

: I've also thought about installing bulkheads,which seem more secure for
: flotation, but putting either a bought round hatch or a built oval hatch
: in at least the stern one. This really limits the size of items going into
: the larger (stern) compartment, and a bulkhead hatch in the bow seems
: pretty impractical. Any experience with these?

: thanks