Installing a Day Hatch

Day hatch compartments are seen on many serious touring kayaks. A day hatch gives the paddler a secure storage area that is accessible while on the water. The hatch opening is usually installed off-center behind the cockpit to make it easy to reach. Keep your water bottle, anorak, sunscreen, GPS, or other frequently used gear in this compartment, and bulkier stuff in the other compartments.

While there are a variety of approaches, the cleanest method is to add a second plywood bulkhead behind the standard aft bulkhead, creating a watertight day hatch compartment that is independent of the other watertight storage areas. Obviously, this is best done before the deck is installed, though a 3" MiniCel foam bulkhead sealed with 3M 5200 will allow a watertight retrofit of an existing boat.