> Do you have experience in boats of that construction? I've got to be out
> of my mind to consider another boat, but as long as the topic of
> high-strength/low weight is being pursued, I wonder if a more resilient
> type of construction would be worthwhile in real world paddling. At least
> for unladen day paddling.

Lee,

I've paddled one, it was a nice kayak but a little on the heavy side. It could be built with lighter weight materials and still have good strength. The one I paddled was quite heavy duty, it had been paddled from Sitka Alaska to Bellingham Washington. It was even fitted out with a lever operated bilge pump at the back of the cockpit. I think it was on it's second owner.

Here is a quote about one: "This boat is absolutely indestructible.  I am convinced that it will continue to be a kayak when I am long forgotten. I once committed the unspeakable atrocity of driving my car over the bow-line with the kayak strapped into the roof rack. The Yakima rack collapsed under the load, and the boat slammed down onto the roof of my Trooper.  Trashed the rack, yet I was unable to detect the slightest damage to the boat. We also surfed this boat onto a mussel bed on Round Island in the Gulf of Mexico with a week's worth of gear inside. We must have skidded 8 feet without water underneath us, with only cosmetic scratches in the neoprene coating on the hull."

There is the full review of it at the Kayak Builders of Southern California's web site.

George Dyson has a book "Baidarka" that tells all about building one.

Mike