: If you SOF is built along traditional Greenland lines (low decks), you WILL
: be paddling with your legs straight. I do this in all my boats now and
: actually prefer it to paddling with bent legs. It does take some getting
: used to, however.

: If the boat fits you closely, you'll probably find that the footbrace and
: backrest aren't all that necessary, since you'll have a good grip on the
: boat with your thighs against the masik and your butt down between the
: ribs. This is especially true if you're using a Greenland paddle with a
: canted stroke, since the paddling motion includes a downward punch/crunch
: that increases your thigh grip on the boat. One benefit of this is that
: your feet and lower back don't get sore from constant pressure.

: FWIW, I used Morris' footbrace positioning method on my first boat and it
: came out just a bit short. I increased it by 1" on the second boat
: and it feels a bit long. I suspect that this is because I also increased
: the vertical footroom on the second boat, so my feet don't point forward
: quite as much.

Brian, do your legs get numb? What is the longest time you have spent paddling at once in your skin boats? Did you make the ribs deeper or do something with the deck? That was probably a stupid question.
I ask because I am thinking ahead to the Baidarka I would like to build for myself. This boat is for my son. It will be a learner. With a bigger than traditional cockpit. He feels comfortable in my expedition single so I was going to make one that size and fit it with cockpit braces similar to what Nick did with his.
Anyway this particular style of boat seems so cheap to make compared to my strip boats, that I won't mind making say 6 or 7 of them till I get it right. Of course that doesnt include the slow water river boat stripper, the shootin star, the stitch and glue, the sailboat blah, blah, blah. My job really gets in the way of my hobbies ya know? Lets see I'm 41 now, with an expected life span of 70, and an average of 1 boat per year...........
Keep building, Elliott