> Im planning on building the San Javier stitch and glue single. The marine
> grade 4mm okoume that is recommended does not fit my budget. is there any
> alternative, If so, what are the consequences.

> Thanks,

> Scott

The first alternative is finding a boat that fits your budget. (Skin on frame is a pretty reasonable route to go.) Failing that, getting an influx of cash so your budget can expand. Finally:

Any thin plywood with an exterior glue could be used as long as you seal the thing inside a skin of glass cloth, or at least coat all sides with epoxy resin or paint.

Lauan plywood, often used for floor underlayment, comes in 5.2 mm for $7.65 at the local Builders Square this week (10/11/98) It has been within a dollar of that price for the past year.

In the Chicago area I bought 8 sheets of Meranti plywood in 3mm ( nom. 1/8 inch) for about the same price ( about $7.50 a sheet). This is usually used as an underlayment and has one A face. The other face can be B or worse. A couple of sheets had some really bad areas, but I should be able to find uses for the good areas without much waste. I got a tip about this stuff through this board, by the way.

Door skins -- from 3 mm to 1/8 inch plywood are available in some areas.

Now that you have some options, lets look at what you are trying to avoid: marine plywood. Maybe what you need is just a supplier that is less expensive.

Alternatively, maybe you should look for a plan that uses less wood.

Finally, consider whether you want to invest your time and money building with a different material. The results from marine ply are pretty predictable. With other woods you are doing a little experimenting. There is absolutely nothing wrong with experimenting. You just have to remember that you stand a chance of paying more. Low costs are most definitely NOT guaranteed.

If your plans call for covering the boat on both sides (inside and outside) with glass cloth and epoxy resin you will probably spend more on those materials than on the wood. In this case the difference between woods is a marginal part of the total cost of the boat. you might as well save your pennies and buy the preferred materials. Granted, 4 sheets of 8 dollar plywood is $32. versus 4 sheets of $35 plywood for $140. If you need 4 sheets for your boat you've got a gap of about $100 between those choices.

In my caseI want to fiddle with a few plans and think I'll do some quick and dirty stitch and glue boats with the Meranti and cheap polyester resin. For these trials I'm using materials I know are cheap. But I'll see if the designs are any good and get practice with building them. Then my kids can beat the things to pieces on the local river. If I like a design and want to make a prettier boat I'll look for better wood.

Finally, the low cost alternatives are strictly 4 x 8 foot sheets, off the rack, at the local lumberyard or convenience store. Several marine plywood, dealers can supply panels that have been scarfed to any length you want. This can be a BIG (pun intended) convenience. You'll save the cost of the material for the scarf joints ( epoxy and tape) and also save several days in construction time. (What is that worth to you?)

Hope this helps. Best of luck to you whichever route you take.

Paul Jacobson