I love my Manitou 13 for playful, shorter paddles and soon for Class I to II+ whitewater, where my 18-footer will never go, and also soon a little small surfzone. It’s maneuverability and lighter weight is superior for my needs than the Manitou 14, so …
What is the best way to go about making and installing a minicell bow bulkhead for it?
Should I put a little vent hole in the foam near the deck so temperature changes, etc. don’t cause it to blow out due to air pressure going up too high? Or maybe just a tiny top hatch?
Thanks!
Also …
I’ll probably be putting a float bag in there for back up, especially at first – I just need to make sure I don’t blow it up tight at sea level and then drive east to the 4,000’+ hills or something higher 
I use float bags on each side of
"the gray thing" in my Manitou 13.
Wedged in tight with nothing “extra”
holding them down in front of the
footpegs. They haven’t gone anywhere
in either Cl 2+ rapids or high choppy
waves. I’ve purposefully swamped the
boat a number of times, to practice self
rescue and re-entry. I live at a high
altitude (about 3000’)and practice this
in icy Northeast winter water. The boat
has always stayed afloat and been righted.
As far as “torching” and “hardware” goes,
I say don’t mess with a good thing unless
you’re absolutely sure.