: The whole idea is that a thinner strips will weigh less than a thicker strip.
: For the reason of simplicity people will cite the fact that a 1/8th inch
: strip weighs half as much as a 1/4 inch strip. but that doesn't mean that
: your choice is limited to JUST 1/8th inch strips if you want a lighter
: boat.

: There is no reason to think that strips must be some exact fraction of an
: inch in thickness. Just keep them all the SAME thickness and you can make
: them 9/64ths, or 5/32nds, or some decimal fraction like 0.135. Or make
: them in a metric size like 3 mm, 3.5 mm, or 4 mm.

: Make a couple of strips in various thicknesses from a scrap and just bend
: them in your hands to see if they feel TOO flexible -- or too stiff. This
: is hardly a scientific way to do things, but if you are not comfortable
: with using a very thin piece of wood, then use a thicker one, and you'll
: just have a slightly heavier, but very pretty, boat. There are worse
: things in the world.

: There are a lot of designs for kayaks (and canoes) which are built from 3mm
: plywood, and that is a bit thinner than 1/8th inch, so boats made from
: thin wood are definitely out there, and apparently serving well.

: Hope this helps

: PGJ

Thank you Paul, for the good thoughts. I'm cutting this pecan wood Sunday. Thinking about 3/16" strips to allow myself a little more leeway sanding later. I'm so impatient on the one hand that I'd bend a 2x4 around these forms if it would bend. On the other hand, haste makes waste. Regards, Glen