> Im sure George will chip in here, but I think that the majority of the
> hull stresses are absorbed by the skins, making the type of joint moot.
> Also, the strips next door help hold it all together.

> It then becomes an asthetic issue, more than a structural one.

Let's say you have a simple butt joint with fiberglass cloth extending 6 inches on either side of the joint and on both sides. Once you have sewn the hull together, you cover both inside and out with fiberglass. Now you have a butt joint with two layers of glass on each side of the joint. It is stronger at the joint than anywhere else.