: A big part is just letting the epoxy cure. I really like the concept of the
: boat. I mainly went to kayaks for fishing because I can get to more places
: in worse weather, canoes were starting to make me nervous. I am really
: curious how the side bulkheads work out for self rescue.

Jim, I told this story several months ago and it is the reason I am building the side water tight storage compartments into my kayak. Within 10 miles of me three men were fishing in a small pond in a canoe. It tipped over and one of the men drown. I couldn't see how this could happen even though he was listed in the paper as a poor swimmer, because all he had to do was grab onto the canoe and hold on until rescued. I had a 17'canoe at the time with floation in the bow and stern that I decided to test for safty. I took it out in deep water and capsized it. When I tried to get into it from the side it just rolled like a log spinning. When I grabbed it from the end it just slowly sunk until I went under with it. I found the only way to hang on until rescue was by having another person with you and both of you locking arms from over the opposite sides of the canoe. It was recommended that I read the book "Sea-Kayaker Deep Trouble" which was about resque and self resque. Many people died or nearly died in the book from hypothermia. It seemed that besides proper clothing to slow down the hypothermia when you were swamped in cold water was to get to shore right away. Many of the kayakers managed to get into their boats using the paddle float resque method but the water filled kayak was so unstable the many would roll right back into the cold water and many died or nearly died within a few hundred feet from shore. My thoughts are that if swamped, I can easily craw back into the boat over the side without rolling and paddle a very stabe boat filled with water quickly to shore and build a fire for warmth or to get help. Not every one has a boat as wide as mine and can not build in the side floation but maybe the long narrow kayaks could put foam flotation along the upper inside length of the kayaks. But the other benaefit for me will be a place to keep my telescoping fishing rod, tackle, camera's, etc. dry and out of the way.

John