I had the same issue with both a 16LT and 17LT.  You are well forward of the hatch so it should be no problem as long as you get the correct radius on top of the beam.

On a related subject, how well do/did your bulkheads fit at the manual specified locations?  Mine did not fit well and I had to do a bunch of fiddling to make them fit.  Just a few weeks ago this subject was discussed here and John Harris posted that you get a better fit by removing the spreader stick.  The reason I mention this is that it may also fix your bow beam problem.  Look for his post back a month or so.

The forward deck beam in the Chesapeakes is happy placed anywhere within about eight inches of the spot indicated in the plans.

You heard it here first: eventually Chesapeake-series kayaks will have no deckbeams at all.  They're a vestige of a 1980's-era kayak design and have always felt like more of a hassle to me than they're worth.  You need SOMETHING in the cockpit area to form the deck radius when the deck's installed, but it could be temporary.

   Thanks. The bulkheads fit relatively close to plans from what I recall. The spreader stick can't be causing the issue here as it was removed long ago. The part of the process to where the fore deck beam is installed, according to the manual, is right before planing the sheer clamps.

The fore deck beam is nice in my case as it will help with the strip planks. 

Mike