Boats and method of making the same

Claim 1

A BOAT COMPRISING A CLOSED CELL FOAM STRUCTURE FORMED IN THE SHAPE OF A HULL HAVING AN UPPER AND LOWER SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF SPACED RIGID REINFORCING RODS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CLOSED CELL FOAM STRUCTURE, EACH OF SAID REINFORCING RODS HAVING ONE END THEREOF FLUSH WITH SAID UPPER SURFACE AND THE OTHER END THEREOF FLUSH WITH SAID LOWER SURFACE, AND A CLOTH SHEET BONDED TO SAID STRUCTURE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES AND TO THE ENDS OF SAID RODS, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING KEEL SLOT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID STRUCTURE FROM THE UPPER TO THE LOWER SURFACE THEREOF, KEEL RETAINING MEANS COMPRISING A FLAT PLATE ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID STRUCTURE, A SLOT IN SAID PLATE SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORMING TO THE KEEL SLOT, A TUBULAR FLANGE DEPENDING FROM SAID PLATE AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID KEEL SLOT, A FLAT BOTTOM PLATE ON THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID BOAT AN OPENING IN SAID BOTTOM PLATE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID TUBULAR FLANGE, SPACER MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID UPPER SURFACE PLATE AND SAID BOTTOM PLATE IN ABUTTING RELATION THEREWITH, AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID UPPER SURFACE PLATE AND BOTTOM PLATE TO SAID SPACER MEANS, AND A REMOVABLE KEEL FITTING WITHIN SAID TUBULAR FLANGE.