: Larry,

: As you know I am building the same RBA boat for racing. I have come the full
: circle on the weight issue. I started out thinking about and ultra light
: boat with carbon fiber and other high tech / high cost materials but am
: now thinking differently.

: My reason for wanting a lightweight boat is that I do at least two races a
: year that involve portaging around dams. The takeouts and put in tend to
: be rocky and trying to rush through these can be brutal on the boat
: bottom. Not to mention that getting in and out of a cockpit quickly
: stresses the cockpit. For this reason I am now shying away from an
: ULTRA-light version of the RBA. I want to make sure that there is enough
: glass on the bottom and around the cockpit to take the abuse of a fast
: put-in or take out. If this adds 5 more lbs it will be worth it to me not
: to have a catastrophic failure during a portage.

: On the other hand I will definitely be building this RBA lighter than my
: first boat the Guillemot ES. With 3/16” strips, no plywood bulkheads and
: better glassing technique I should pick up significant weight savings. The
: lighter boat on the longer portages (1/2 mile) will make a difference. The
: last 5lbs isn’t worth a fragile boat to me.

: On races without portages I believe there are diminishing returns on
: lightening your boat. A fast hull shape and efficient stroke is what is
: going to make the biggest difference for me.

: Regards,

: Jack

Hi Jack,
I fully understand the reasons to build bulletproof. I have built 3 boats that way. I really have a desire to have a lightweight boat. The only reason is for land carry. I will have some portages of over 1/2 mile and a cart is out of the question.
I may regret my decision to go ultralight but if I have problems, it's an excuse to build another boat!

Larry C