: Hello All
: I just cut the hatches out on my new OI, and I am leaning toward using a
: bungie system and I'm looking for some feedback from from builders who
: have gone with this method. I guess my main concern was if they are water
: tight. On my Guilly, I went with the standard buckle arrangement and I
: have always had leak issues, though its more a problem with the gasket
: than the straps.
: Thanks,
: Dave

Dave,
I did that on my Redfish King and I am happy with it. At my link (below) pictures 81 & 82 show the braces that I put on the underside of the hatches. They were cut to conform to and support the curve of the hatches so that the hatches would hold their shape. Pictures 96 & 97 show the blocks attached to the hull. They are directly below but offset just a bit from where the bungee would attach to hooks on the hatches.

I use self adhearing weather stripping 3/8" x 7/16" from Home Depot for the gaskets. I find that it is important to have the bungee's pulling with equal pressure and to periodically check the bungee's as they do tend to stretch. So I tighten them a bit or replace them as needed.

After a full day of rolling and playing around my rear hatch will have about 1/4 cup of water in it but my front hatch is dry.

Bob