Nony - If I need more positive incidence as JohnBuckner points out, wouldn't I be increasing the distance between the tail and the floats?

John - currently I have 1 1/2 degrees of positive incidence between the wing and the top of the floats. There was minimal weight added by my strut modifications - just some welds and stronger plywood (guessing a 3/4 of a pound at the most). Some additional weight is from the use of a fully redundant Li-Ion battery system and the use of more robust linkages to the rear control surfaces that include a pull/pull system for the rudder, and separate controls for left and right elevators (I was worried that with the extra weight the added stress would snap the original setup if I was to try any aerobatics). I believe the whole setup is weighing in the high teens but that is just a guesstimate on my part.

Finally, I would agree that the cause of my crash was my inexperience on water - I forced the takeoff. However, after watching the video it did not seem as though the plane was accelerating anymore, which is why I started up on the elevator.

My vacation has ended at the summer house so it is back to the workshop to make the proper repairs. I appreciate all of your advice and comments!

thanks,

Jed