: Rob,

: Having both S&G and cedar strip-built kayaks myself, I can tell you for sure
: that, using a similar weight of glass, my okuome plywood S&G boats are
: tougher. Let's face it, cedar does not have much crush resistance. It
: dents easily. If you want the same durability from a cedar boat, you must
: use heavier or tougher (i.e. s-glass) fiberglass. It all boils down to how
: you treat your boat and what you are willing to tolerate. For my purposes,
: the 5 oz. would be OK for the deck, but I would want more on the hull.

Hi Rob,
I agree with Ted, I also have both S&G and strip kayaks. Strippers need tougher layups. My latest project is Nick's Razorbilled Auk. I used s-glass over 3/16" strips on the hull, inside and out as well as inside deck. The outside deck is e-glass because I had heard of problems of S-glass not wetting out clear. It turns out that the s-glass I used on the hull is every bit as clear as the e-glass on the deck (all 4 oz. plain weave). S-glass may be worth the extra cost (double) if weight saving and toughness is paramont. 6 oz. plain weave e-glass is still the standard and can be quite tough if extra layers are added here and there.

I like to try different ways of boat construction and trying different types of fabrics is fun for me. I have used carbon fiber, e-glass, s-glass and now carbon/kevlar hybred cloth. If you want to experiment with different materials, try a layup on the inside first to see if the results are what you want.

Larry C.