: I've put off buying adjustable footbraces for my Cape Ann and am
: getting ready to join halves. I learned from this forum that
: they need to go in before joining. Any advice on what brand and
: where to get them? I don't want to bolt them through the hull so
: what hardware would I use?
: Thanks as always, Jim

My 1.5 cents:
I have the Sea-lect foot-braces (Sea Dogs) and like the ease of adjustment fore/aft. If you are unsure how high to mount the studs for the foot braces, you can build a small board for each side with pairs of holes drilled for 2 or 3 heights. That was the set up in my Epic Endurance 18 kayak. I tossed it out after determining that the position with the ball of my foot on the pedal with the heel almost straight down was where the mounting holes were drilled through the hull. QED.

I dislike the Sea-lects in my 23" wide boat as they have very little grip. Our most used technique is the forward stroke. When I needed to push the boat forward, I found my foot slipping off to the center of the boat. If you think you're not the speedster & don't need to fret about forward propulsion, think again as you will find yourself pushing against winds and waves if you paddle anywhere but in small protected coves. Keepers have a better grip, but have a poor adjustment mechanism & are not as sturdy. I dislike paddling fat, heavy double kayaks, because I get out of the boat bowlegged, feeling like I'd been on a horse all that time. Foot braces need be shimmed in wide boats to optimize ergonomics.

That said, I agree with Alex Ferguson who advocated making your own out of wood. Shade's book has a good plan. Picture: http://www.shearwater-boats.com/Footbraceskits.htm

Jeff