Ok Dave, first let me say that I was not trying to be overly critical of your design/layup, just trying to keep you or someone paddeling your boat alive. As far as design goes I think your boat looks more like a rodeo boat. rodeo boats are designed to do dynamic tricks, usually with the aid of a lot of moving water and a lot of input from the paddler. Squirt boats are not, they are generally designed to become one with the water (excuse my zen reference) they often are very edgy, twitchy, and barely float. This low floatation and the wing shape actually makes them more stable in heavy water but also allows them to tune into and use the currents like no other boat can. Instead of going over waves like tupperware play boats, glass squirts kind of go through them. Anyway my point is that you need to go one direction or another. Example: I have a plastic boat that surfs great, plays in holes well, etc. But it does not cartweel well at all because of the volume and rocker that make it surf and play in holes so well. I also have a squirt boat that I can cartwheel in flat water with just handpaddles and somewhat even with no hands. But it does not surf very well and would not stay in a hole long enough to do any retentive moves. My advice would be to choose one, hybrids have a long history of doing nothing very well. The site I referenced before has a lot of good stuff on different boats.

As far as materials, more glass and poly, less wood if you want to keep it light although I don't know how much less you could go below 3mm ply. Center walls cut smoothly and accuratley would be essential. I personally don't like the idea of wood sheer clamps mentioned before, a few layers of glass/poly, and or kevlar tape would likely be much stronger and lighter. (glass squirts often have 4 and 5 layer seams in and out) Like others have said the sharp corners and chines are the problem areas, both for stress points(flex) and for wear on the outside. Might want o consider end pours too. As far a plywood goes, I would not count on its strength along joints for anything, plan on the glass and poly layers to provide all actual strenght as the full layers are the only part of the boat that is continuous except for the seam joint. My reasoning is that I feel there are just too many plywood joints that could fail, not to mention be very diffucult to impossible to tape the insides adequatley. On a top water boat I would not wory about it, but something you plan on cartwheeling is going to take a LOT of stress, as parts of the boat will have the force of 4 feet of water compressing them repeatedly every time it is cartwheeled....That is a lot of repeated stresses and why I would not want to depend on all those joints to hold up, full glass layers however are somewhat more dependable, and if you know that the glass layers are strong enough by themselves, there is at least that saftey margin. From my experience a 4 layer deck, 5 layer hull (GPGP Deck, GPGGP Hull with the poly layers inside 6oz glass, 5oz poly) is a very light weight layup, commonly used. If I wanted a flat water ONLY boat that probably would be it. I personally don't think kevlar is justified as far as weight savings to cost on boats under 10'. For comparison the squirt I just got is a 6/7 layup with various areas reinforced, seams reinforced with dynel and kevlar, dynell tips, etc. It is a destination play boat, mostly due the low volume. But built a little stronger so it is safer doing mystery moves

If you want really light I would try and get or make a mold and go that direction. Hey, if you make a mold for a good boat design, people will pay to use it. Existing molds can be used to layup a plug to be modified easier than starting from scratch on a mold.

Good luck and keep us posted

Bart

PS: Are you in/from Madison? My family is originally from there more specifically a dairy farm outside Columbus. Been a long time since I was there, still a few aunts and uncles there though. How is the paddeling?

> ok this boat will be used for whitwater practice... not in whitewater. I'm
> going to be using it in a little river called the yaharaa here in madison
> WISCONSIN and possibly in the lakes also. no surf more then 2 feet and no
> rocks. I'll be using a dock to get into it but the dock is wood and it is
> a few inches abover the water. I'm going to by an amp to use in
> whitewater... I want a REALLY light boat that I can do tricks in. If you
> know that my layup is bad can you suggest somthing better? I am willing to
> pay more for a better boat. but it really won't be seeing any whitewater
> unless I beef it up. also if you see anything wrong wwith the design could
> you suggest somthing rather then saying it;'s bad... thanks DAVE