: Thanks again Shawn for your input, but if you don't mind I would like to pick
: your brain some more on this subject. With a stitch&glue hull, how
: big/many/far apart would you have to place curved deckbeams to achieve the
: same strength you get from a fiberglass covered stripped deck?

Depends on what kind of plywood you use. 4mm ply, probably none, or one every 4' or so. 3mm ply, maybe 2' centers. Even one or two more strips of okoume plywood 2" wide would make nice, strong ribs--they could be glued in after the deck is built.

: As you have
: said, this would have to be based on the intended uses, but what about
: fairly rough conditions in Puget Sound (daytrips).

Would you be paddling with Mike Hanks, Don Beale, or Ted Henry? Be careful!

Deception pass is about as rough as it gets...I don't know that I'd like to be the first person with a SOF deck on a S&G boat out in the surf. All S&G, yes; all SOF, yes. I just don't want to be the first tester!

: I'm not only concerned
: about inlays, but more importantly short strips

With glass, I wouldn't worry one bit.

:or even possibly the skin-on-deck hybrid. Also any ideas on making ultra-light
:deckbeams?

The aforementioned okoume ribs. Or glass (or carbon fiber) over a thin foam rib.

Shawn