> Does a strip built boat with no built in floatation remain afloat when
> capsized, or does the fiberglass and epoxy counteract the bouyancy of the
> wood?

If there are no bulkheads in the boat, it will fill with water when turned on its side. While it probabaly won't sink to the bottom, it won't be floating as you'd like either. Swamped is the word that enters my mind. Also, the added water now becomes part of your boat's weight for purposes of getting up speed and manouverability, and that makes it tough.

Bulkheads, together with more-or-less waterproof hatches, provide both flotation that won't be lost if the boat is turned over as well as reducing significantly the amount of water that is allowed to enter the boat. In my S&G boat with bulkheads, I CAN'T get very much water in the cockpit, even with it up on its sheer and me trying to push the boat into the water. Maybe 3 to 4" in the cockpit of an unloaded boat.

> I am aware of the need for floatation as a safety measure in wet exits and
> re-entries, but I would like to paddle a little before taking the time to
> fully complete my boat and don't want to lose it if I capsize.

If you want cheap, temporary floatation, you can't do much better than empty 1 gallon milk jugs with the screw on tops. I just cram as many as I can fit into the front and rear, thread through the handles with some light rope as you go so they can't all get away, then brace across the hull with a fitted scrap of stick or two to hold them in place. For light duty paddling, I'd be satisfied with that.