> BTW what do you mean by European-style hinges.

Well, that's what they're called over here in North America. Chances are that they're commonplace over in your "neck of the woods". The following description was taken from Lee Valley's 1997/98 catalog, and describes them better than I probably could:

========================================================

These modern hinges have many advantages for general cabinet and kitchen casework:

1) They are completely hidden when the door is closed.

2) They are spring loaded with two rest positions; fully open or fully closed.

3) They install quickly and easily and can be adjusted in all three dimensions (horizontal, vertical and depth) after installation.

========================================================

Previously I had some worries as to how well sealed the hinged edge of the hatch would be, but if one used these hinges, the amount of compression of the gasket material could be adjusted in a flash. No need to guess as to where to mount the hinges. Careful selection of the hinges followed by a little bit of ingenuity could result in a very low profile setup. I'll be seriously considering them before I reinvent the wheel; they might be exactly what is needed. Oh yeah, almost forgot: their prices range from about $9.00 to $20.00 per pair, Canadian. The ones carried by Lee Valley are nickel plated. How "rust- proof" are they really, anyone?

> I myself don't have the opportunity to experiment with this yet,
> so I'm looking forward to see how You're getting along with your hatch
> construction.

Well, I may not be doing it in time for this summer. I just started stripping the deck (finally finished the hull - yippee!), so, I've got a lot to do yet. It would be something I'd put together in the winter months (probably) when 1) I'm not feeling rushed to get it done in time, and 2) the water is too hard to play in. :-)

Mike Spence