Best method to tether hatches?

How do you add tethers to your hatches? What material do you use for the tether? Are there any no drill options?

Nothing??? There has to be someone out there with some ideas!

I just use 65 pound braid about 1 foot long.

Patience young padawan. Some of us have lives outside of the ether too! Some actually fish!

I like paracord to secure anything to the boat. Its thin, but big enuf to handle without slicing through wet fingers. Tie the boat end around the scuppers inside the hull. Hobie uses a strap with a buckle in the middle for easy removal. For me that's a tad overkill as removal just means I'm more likely to leave it at home.

 Do not fear the drill. Though it lies the path to true pimpdom  (as well as mastery of plastic welding). In other words, you pretty much have to mount something on the hatch to tie the paracord to. I suppose you could mount a patch and D ring with G-flex or some other stickum. But most folks and manufacturers mount a padeye on the inside of the hatch with the bolt coming in from the outside. If (when) you do drill, drill slightly undersized and the bolt will form a good seal and a bit of goop will nail it or use 3M 4200. That will make it permanent. 

Like FFTW said:  "Don't fear the drill".

Stainless Harware and Goop turn holes into water tight mounting points.

There are these things called Bungie Buddies. A lot of the adventure/tourer motorcycle folks have hard side cases that come without any way to strap stuff on them. Basically they're very fancy eye bolts (hard black plastic ones), with rubber washers. But you will have to break out the drill. Hey if someone will drill holes in there very expen$$$$ive dual sport motorcycle...... You can do it!

One caveat- I don't know how long they are. Reason- I wouldn't drill holes in my motorcycle! 

Oh ya, as far as cord goes- your nearest climbing store will have the best line around. Unbreakable, in bulk. The hardware you've tied to or your knot will fail first. And it comes in different sizes- smallest about the size of a shoestring. 

On mine, the manufacturer also has cords running from the hatch covers to the nearest scupper tube.   With the lids installed, this leaves a pretty good loop of cord hanging down.   I want to be able to store a back up rod / reel so having cords dangling down inside the kayak  just gives something else for the rod to tangle on.

All the hatch lids have tie down eye's mounted nearby so I decided to utilize them. 
 I am going to remove one of the rivets that fasten the eye and then replace it, attaching a small cable support on the back side, being inside the kayak.    This will give me a close attachment point to now install a length of bungee to the hatch lid.   

This is what I mean by a cable support though I am using all nylon versions.

On mine, the manufacturer also has cords running from the hatch covers to the nearest scupper tube.   With the lids installed, this leaves a pretty good loop of cord hanging down.   I want to be able to store a back up rod / reel so having cords dangling down inside the kayak  just gives something else for the rod to tangle on.

All the hatch lids have tie down eye's mounted nearby so I decided to utilize them. 
 I am going to remove one of the rivets that fasten the eye and then replace it, attaching a small cable support on the back side, being inside the kayak.    This will give me a close attachment point to now install a length of bungee to the hatch lid.   

This is what I mean by a cable support though I am using all nylon versions.

I just picked up a pack from Home Depot yesterday.  They are pretty cheap. I think they came from the aisle with the cat5 wire.