Thanks...this is just the kind of stuff I need. Since my re-invention of the wheel is not going so good I decided I might just look into some of the mundane facts of boat construction...maybe do a little tweaking...a little re-inventing. I sometimes think many people get stuck in a rut about how we do things with out really thinking of WHY we are doing them. Very valid points have been...ahem...pointed out, and brought up. I love to experiment with new things. Now....it seems that maybe a strip built cold molded hull might be something interesting to do. Next on the agenda...puncture and scratch resistance.