: I'll assume you're building a non folder....

: 1. A thin / small ply floor is adequate to keep your heels from contacting
: the skin. See links below. You can add floorboards also, if added weight is
: not a concern. The links below show older Baidarka's with lightweight
: 3/16"
: ply floor area ( nylon / hypalon skins). I no longer feel the ply heel rests
: are needed.

: http://robroy.dyndns.info/baidarka/slideshow/slides/BIF16-a.jpg

: http://www.yostwerks.com/PlyFloorA.jpg - Floor and seat

: 2. A small extra section of skin material under your heels may be adeqaute
: also. I say "may be adequate" as I'm forced to guess what the
: mystery
: experimental skin material is If you were using PVC, or sewn / hypalon
: coated poly or nylon, nothing would be needed. With PVC you would vinyl
: cement
: the section onto the inside hull bottom. I can't speak to sewn nylon or
: polyester / urethane coated skins.

: 3. You can add a seat but a thin pad of closed cell foam atop the floor
: works well and keeps the center as low as possible on narrow designs like
: the Sea Ranger. I've gone to a 1/4" floor mounted as low as possible for
: the same reason.

: http://robroy.dyndns.info/baidarka/slideshow/slides/fold2.jpeg - Wider
: double folder with seat and raised floorboards.

: Regards,

: Tom

Hi again Tom,

At this point, though I've made several test samples, the skin is untested so I'm keeping it to myself for now, this is a very fast project though so should be in the water fairly soon

I can say it's a semi-rigid skin, that should (hopefully) assume the shape that a skin boat normally has with water pressure.

Luckily if it doesn't work it's not the end of the world, would be fairly easy to strip this skin then I can go with a more "conventional" skin

From my aircraft building days, when you're trying an experimental process or material, do so on a tried and true design, that's why I picked this one. That way if something fails, you're not left wondering if it was the design or the experimental material.

Bill H.