: Why not build the hull out of plywood. It's cheap, easy and the way it was
: designed. Besides, when you're in the boat the only part you can see is
: the deck. Put your nice stripping there.

Working backwards on your questions: the issue of beauty of the stripping is more of an aesthetic one than a building one. certainly many people take advantage of the many possibilities working with strips presents for decoration and design -- but that is not the original purpose of using wood strips. You can simply lay out one strip after another, with no regard for color or pattern, and have a unique and pretty boat which will also be strong and functional.

Plywood is generally a sandwich of a wood core surrounded on top and bottom by wood veneer. The core can be built up of other sheets of veneer, which may have voids, or a more solid core made of edgejoined solid wood or particle board, or MDF (medium density fiberboard)

What we are doing with creating this fiberglassed panel of wood strips is basically making our own lumber core plywood, with sheets of fiberglass replacing the decorative veneers. Since we are manufacturing our own fiberglass faced "plywood" we can make it to any length we desire, thus eliminating the need to scarf shorter panels into longer ones. Short strips can be assembled like bricks in a wall, to any length, and with great strength. We can also make it any width or thickness we want. The ability to control thickness by ripping and planing the strips means we can make 3mm or 4mm panels as needed, without having to special order them.

We can totally eliminate voids in the core of our product, giving a consistent strength.

Since strips are assembled to make panels of the needed size, there is little waste.

And, those hulls DO look nice when the boat is on the car and everyone can see them

Besides, some people like the challenge of working with different materials and processes. Whoever said everyone wants to build a boat in the EASIEST manner? We are talking about serious addicts here. Some people like to try the most difficult processes. It is a challenge for them.

PGJ