That's great Gary! I was pretty sure more material was needed, but my idea of just beefing up each side of the groove might not be sufficient. The concept of bridging the groove between loops would certainly provide the strength to overcome the inherent weakness of the design. Now I'm trying to conceive a slick way to mask the loops so as to minimnize fussing, and provide a clean appearance when completed. Stuff the loops into some stiff platic tubing(like a straw) that the epoxy wouldn't stick to?
A lot easier to finish would be to fill in the groove, glass over it, and then secure mushrooms of something else into the now filled groove. But you're right, that the angle of the hull probably won't work for the mushrooms. And anything solid(eyestraps or?) is gonna be a pain to sit on. Still open to suggestion.....

Dave