Good points.

  For the sake of discussion, you could also add a second floor to part or all of a flat-bottomed hull, and with a bit less labor (because it's flat).  And you'd still end up with less weight and windage.

  Or, you could trust that the lighter-than-water sandwich construction, plus huge amounts of closed-cell foam in the hull ends, will keep the boat floating, and then "celebrate" when something does tear through the hull/floor (because now you know what happened and what has to be repaired).

        - Mike

 

Another thing to consider about V bottom and round bottom hulls is the
value of the bilge space.   A flat bottom offers little or no useful
space in the bilge for tankage, and other stowage.... This is not
insignificant, as deep down is the ideal location for such thing as
liquids and batteries, and other heavy stuff.  Built in tankage is also
insurance if you run onto a coral head, and rip into the bottom..... it
can prevent the main hull(s) from flooding.  The entire bilge in a Deep
V or round bottom hull could be sealed, with watertight access ports,
and ideally each bulkhead would make a separate compartment without any
connection to the adjacent compartments.

                            H.W.