Is the cover Larry posted large enough to work with forward opening? It doesn't really say.

Jon my old wooden hatches are hinged to go either way. It's counter intuitive to me to make them aft opening(you just pull the hinge pins, replace them aft). Usually I want the 2 overhead hatches to really plow air into the boat(it does get warm here), on a hot day or when I reach the boat after it's sat in the hot sun for days.

If we didn't have our 3 large cowls on dorade boxes, your cover might be the only way to get reasonable ventilation during a rain.

I don't see how some new boats are livable in heavy seas or rainy weather. Nothing worse than not enough air exchange in a small space. Like an over used bathroom with no ventilation.