: I've picked up Christopher Cunningham's book and I'm starting
: to ponder materials. I'm having trouble finding long good
: quality wood in spruce, pine, or fir as he recommends. (Whatever
: happened to real lumberyards? All I can find is Home Depot with
: ugly knotty twisted boards.) Redwood is pretty easy to get here
: though - very popular for decks and patio covers. I'm pretty sure
: I could get a 20' long 2x10 with few knots in redwood. Would
: redwood make a good SOF frame? Or should I keep searching for SPF?

: Chris

I used redwood on mine gunwales, stems and some beams. It seems to be doing fairly well. I dropped the SOF on some big rocks in a gust -- one cracked red Oak rib (1/4"x3/4"). That was the extend of the damage. I chose redwood because I was able to find long clear lengths and for rot resistance. But, the price for it in NE is premium.

sing