hej all,

my urge to show you my latest build has cooled after I've seen it on the water with me in it.(see "#that# short"). It's not any aesthetic joy.
But it's more or less what I tried to design it for: A quick grab for a tour on the local water. I havn't considered weight much, so it's heavier though at least a meter shorter than my first. The sections (I considered 5 enough) are cut in plywood, not welded in aluminium this time - it's been much easier, more forgiving and gives far more options. I still will urge my local store to start trading plastic-plates (they are accessible online in 2 by 3 meters, industrial re-use) - that would be 'the' solution (as you already figured out). I added external plastic snap-grabs to the sections (grabbing stringers), and what a treat when assembling! The quick assembly is a key-issue as you already pointed out to me. And it's much better this time around.
'Keep it simple' is a winner design-guide. I added a few more design goals: the long cockpit is for giving me a chance to look through the bottom (once it's been dressed accordingly), and I've strengthened the cockpit considerably, to be able to ascend from the wet without worries. The center-deck tubes/stringers are an option that eventually keeps water off the zippers and from my back. It causes the cockpit-frame to be cut in halves, but thats not a problem (see "everything meets")
Technically I've focused on keeping the keel free of bending outside assembly-points (thus only in the material), and on restricting wiggle around the keel-axis. The cockpit-frame are double, broad but thin plywood. I found out yesterday, that it's strong enough on their own without support-tubes(spanning a meter from section to section). I do have a good feel about adding the extra alu-tube support (only slightly visible on "under the cieling").
The deck-tubes hooks on to the cockpit sections (+ for & aft) and the cockpit frame locks the two sections giving a 'tensed-up' wiggle-free structure early in assembly.
I've profiled the lower part of the sections (see "section-footing") to forego the possibility of disastrous catching of the skin up against the sections on collision with rocks. Most punctures on my previous happened here.
Finally, this one is sewn where the other was mainly glued - silly to puncture a perfectly watertight fabric with 100000 stitches, but it's less toxic. See "Skin" for the 'extras' (double below bottom-stringers, non-destructible (ballistic nylon?) below the keel). At some time I'll make a water-tight ceal on both cockpit-ends... ought to be 'straight forward'.
Judged on 3 minutes yesterday, it's a real joy to ride.
I made a trolley for transport. It makes sense once tent & stuff is added.

I'll let the pictures talk.

Carsten

........

this should be a folder of fotos:

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=382E99B169B58267&id=382E99B169B58267%21264