Hi Rob,
If I compare the maranti I have to the ash I used, the ash is far denser and harder. The color varies from dark brown to light pink. I used teak for the stems because I thought the maranti would be too soft. If you take a strip and press hard on it with your thumb, you can actually cause a dent in it..

: Beautiful boat!

: I have some red meranti (sold here as mahogany) left over from the
: construction of my porch. It's interesting that you refer to it as a soft
: wood. I naturally assumed it was a hardwood (mostly because it doesn't
: grow in my back yard so I don't know anything about it) and was planning
: on using it for my external stems. Do you think it will be hard enough to
: make good stems? Also, I never considered using it as a stripping wood - I
: just thought it would be too heavy. Any thoughts on this?

: Thanks for sharing,

: Rob