: . . .I want it
: to be relatively short (13-14') and stable - I'm thinking say 24"
: wide. . . I'd like to do it as a simple single
: chine design, but that got me thinking - how wide is too wide for a single
: chine SoF?

Kleppers are 28 inches wide and use a single chine. Interestingly, they don't have a single keel strip, but instead use two strips. This gives them a few interesting traits: The bottom is flatter so they can get into shallower water with less scraping, the long football shape (Long pointed oval) that the twin bottom strips makes is going to be stiffer than a single keel strip, and it provides a simple and solid foundation for the floorboards. Klepper mounts the floorboards on top of the bottom strips, making a very stiff, but lightweight panel. You aren't going to be straddling a keel strip when you sit on this floor design.

Below is an illustration from their website (www.klepper.com) showing a cross section of the boat under one of the frames. The big black dots are the bottom chines. The indentation of the fabric is suggested by its outline.

Another illustration you might want to look at is their stunning, detailed image of their frame. http://www.klepper.com/images/kyak.jpg
Both these images are on the same page (http://www.klepper.com/en/faltboote_aufbau_sicherheit.php), which has a wealth of information on how a well designed wood-framed kayak can be built.

For a fabric I'd look at the PVC fabric Yost is using. (www.yostwerks.com)

On your design, with a beam of 24 inches, the distance across the bottom chines would be about 20 to 22 inches. Working from a single keel that would mean the fabric would span, at most, 10 to 11 inches. With Klepper's design the bottom chines are about 25 inches apart, but that distance is split into three spans of about 8 inches. If you were to adopt the idea of double bottom strips, you'd cut the maximum span to about 7 inches, which is probably close to the span you'll have for the sides.

Hope this helps

PGJ