I used it on a Wood Duck and it worked great. I used some left over WEST six10 and it holds like death. On a small job like this I didn't bother with the mixing tip. Just dispense into a plastic cup and stir for a couple of minutes.

   I installed this kit on my S&G Shearwater 17. There is no need to reinforce the covers they are plenty strong and the kit itself acts as reinforcement when installed.

   Thanks for the feedback.  I'll start out with an invisible kit and can always add the hold-downs later, if I want.

Looking forward to the build!

   Wondering if after a few years, anyone has identified any issues with the invisible hatch kit on their kayak? I'm building a Shearwater 17, but intend to be purposefully upside down on occassion and want to ensure a great watertight seal while maintaining the sleek flush-hatch look.

It's my first build, so any and all advise from the experienced builders out there is appreciated. Cheers!

Ian

Good timing on the question. I'm getting close to this stage with my Shearwater Sport as well. I'm not crazy about the idea of using metal hooks, I'm thinking about making wooden hooks that I can attach to the hatches but I haven't thought through the design yet.

I did it on my WD12 10 years ago and it's still going strong. I eventually settled on a thin gasket I made from closed-cell foam. It'll never be totally ewatertight, but it's close enough that a quick wipe with a sponge takes care of it.

This picture shows the wooden hooks being glued to the hatch cover.

Laszlo

Mr Bike,  I have flush hatches on half of my kayaks.  None of them are absolutely watertight even though all are held tighly in place by multiple toggles.  If it is a wet trip with rain/waves, I may get a couple of onces over a couple hour period.  They are certainly way good enough for normal use, but i would not recommend for a boat that you plan to do a lot of rolling in.  (I assume that is what you mean by "purposefully upside down.")  I suspect that the invisible hold down won't be any better (reference Lazlo's comment).  They are ugly, but I would recommend VCP hatches if you plan to roll.  The VCP hatches on my SG Petrel Play are absolutely water tight.

the one main advantage of the regular hatch covers (not invisible), is its very easy to verify that they are properly secured from outside the boat and without having to touch/confirm they were looped in properly.

i have, on occasion, done a quick turn around, realizing i shoved off without properly securing my hatches....my personal preference is i don't like the integrity of key safety items being hidden from view.

h