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...anyone ever use blue foam?
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Sean,
I have, but I wouldn't use it for something structural like a deck hatch. Polystyrene is susceptible to attack from all sorts of solvents, including gasoline, motor oil, and polyester resin. It also has pretty low shear strength which is what you need in the core of a cored laminate. A large person on top of that hatch when you're in a heavy sea could cause a styrofoam core to fail.
All that being said, if you can protect the core from solvents, and you make it thick enough that the shear forces are low (say 1.5" thick), it could work. I just don't think the weight and cost savings are enough to make it practical. I would go with plywood blocks like Bigshrimpin suggested, but for a hatch that big, I would go with 3/4"
Dave