I haven't done anything like that, but do you have one of those oscillating / flush cut saw, or a thin pull saw? If you could cut it off close to the hull, a sander could clean it up.

Does anyone else not like the foot braces?

Keith

Pretty good idea, and thanks "Pocketship."  One thing that worries me though is that there are wood screws from outside the hull into the foot braces.  I'm not that worried about the saw blade or sander paper--I am worried about wiggling the screws around excessively and compromising the integrity of the fiberglass/plywood interface.  The screws are bronze and pretty soft, so it may not pose a problem.  Again, I refer this to someone more knowledgeable than me.

After some more thought,  maybe I'll just build a couple padded boxes to fit over the foot braces.

Duck,

Your worry is exactly why I think that metal fasteners are evil. If the braces had been glued down instead of screwed  down, a saw and sander would take care of the problem.

That said, if you still want to remove the braces, take out the screw, drill out the hole and glue in a hardwood dowel to fill it. You'll also need to sand off the glass for a couple of inches around the hole and put on a glass patch. And refair. And refinish. Your padded box idea's starting to sound pretty good.

Laszlo

Laszlo,

Thanks for your input--and my sentiments exactly.  The footbraces are glued in place--the screws there merely to hold them while glue set.  I'm not sure how they could have been held in place otherwise while setting up.  With 20-20 hindsight I now know that at the very least the screws should have been removed and holes patched after the glue set.  At the time, though, the braces seemed like a good idea, not having actually sailed in the boat as yet.  

Note to future builders: Make sure you really want the braces, and if possible go for a ride in a Skerry to be sure.  My experience is that they are not all that necessary for rowing, and I did some pretty serious rowing (at times into a 25 kt headwind) before I had the sail rig finished.  If the boat had a sliding seat, etc., that would be a different matter (and the foot braces more sophisticated).

For the young and atheletic there is probably no problem--you'll likely be sitting forward of the braces.  For those of us who are older and stiffer (and less "padded"), we need more room to stretch out.

At any rate, removing the screws, etc., is not a job I want to tackle.  Would have to remove a lot of paint even to find them in the first place.  Not worth all the trouble.  Padded boxes it is, or just live with it.  (Or maybe a big tank of water in the bow when single-handing--then I can sit on the stern seat.)

Duck