After completing my Chesapeake 16, I now need to build another one for my wife. Actually it's going to be the LT version to suit her smaller size. I'm keen to improve on a few things that I didn't do perfectly in the first build. Most of the points are just being neater with filleting, cutting fibreglass, varnishing and so on, which should all be easier the second time. But there is one thing I am puzzled about.

The hatch covers ended up being less curved than the deck, which meant that I had to put an extra layer of rubber strip around them in order to get a good seal when they are strapped down. The only explanation I can think of is that I didn't strap the deck down firmly enough when installing it, so that the deck is too curved. However, the hatch covers are also not the same curvature as the deck templates, so even if the deck matched the templates perfectly, I think I still would have had a problem. Has anyone else encountered this, or are there any tips?

One idea I had is to make the hatch covers after installing the deck (last time I made them at an earlier stage, just because I had time) and adjust the ribs if necessary to make the curvature of the covers match the deck.

Any suggestions?