Hi Rob,

I was going to send you these questions directly, but imagine there are others on the list who might have similar questions.

I like the simplicity of the flat bottom hulls, but only ever having had boats with round bilges, was wondering what the trade-offs were? The plusses I see with no floorboards are: easier construction, lighter weight, generally simpler. The questions I had were around:

 - do you normally add kevlar or other "tougher" reinforcement to the laminate schedule for the bottoms?

 - any issues with blocking on the hard with the wide flat panels on the bottom? I assume you want to make sure the load is taken on the edges where the sides meet the bottom?

 - any issues with lifting? Thinking about the bigger HarryProa's, I assume it is almost always a crane with spreaders and straps? Would it be worth building some lifting eyes in where the beams attach to the hulls?

 - I'm guessing if you needed thru-hulls, you would want to surround them with bulkheads/panels that were at least as high as the water level to contain any water in case of leaks or maintenance challenges

 - Bilge pumps would still be needed in case of a catastrophe but would not be hidden under floorboards

 - I assume there is not reason you can't finish the interior floor with a laminate or some other surface to make it look more "homely"

Mark.

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