> Has anyone out there had any experience with the wooden footbraces that
> Shearwater Boats offers? Like a lot of others who hang out on this
> bulletin board, I'm not too keen on putting steel bolts through the side
> of my boat (an Arctic Tern) and am looking for the best alternative. I've
> got the plans that Jim Gabriel posted a while back but the Shearwater
> set-up looks intriguing.

Michael,

I paddled a Guillemot that had this style, and liked it. I am currently building one like it (from Nick's book) for the Plywood Walrus. Everything is cut and and the braces themselves have been glued. I still need to glue the rail guide, seal coat with epoxy and install the whole setup. I used scrap from the kayak and som mahogany I had around the shop.

Mike