[msmith10]

Thanks, Ed. I'm really sorry to hear about MaineSail. He was a source of information I trusted on almost every aspect of sailing and from which I've learned a lot- the benefits of butyl caulk not the least. I'll check out the document you referenced.
In the end, I may find that the whole idea is just too expensive for me to undertake. If I were 50 years younger it would make more sense, but I don't know how many years of competetive sailing I've got left in me. However, I want to make an informed decision on this before I am forced to lay out another $400 for replacement LA batteries which don't meet my requirements very well anyway.