Based on input I've been getting from several sources, I think your suggestion, Solus, is sound.  If, and I think over the next 15 years, its a big "if," there comes a time when I've gone through the outer layers of the Kevlar cloth, then its been suggested that I would be best to repair with 3 layers of S-glass cloth with epoxy resin.  That being said, a number of folks, including Charlie Wilson, who knows a bit about canoes, have warned me to stay clear of adding external Kev-Felt bang plates.  FYI and for anyone with a Bell contemplating this modification, here's what Charlie had to say, "External Kev-Felt bang plates ruin the hull's performance in the water, reducing turning ability and disrupting water flow along the hull. It would be a shame, maybe a hanging offense, to do that to the best small class tandem of all time."  Well, I sure as hell don't want to get myself strung up so I reckon I'll just look after her as best I can and deal with any problem when it arises.