:
:
:. I guess I was under the impression from Nick's book that the
: strength came (mainly) from the fiberglass sandwhich, not the wood.

I'm probably way out of my league here, but if you don't have a known lay-up for the particular boat, you might want to check other sites - for instance, www.bateau.com has Bills of Materials for sailing, power and "small boats"....(mostly stitch and glue).... seems to me that when you get into the xtra stresses involved with rudders, masts, etc. for sailing, some designers start getting into heavier duty +/- 45 degree biaxial tapes and fabric....probably not what you would want for a "stripper", but you may have to re-inforce certain areas of a sailing boat that way. Similarly, the thickness of the wood may increase (I forgot the formula, but doesn't strength vary as thickness cubed, or something like that)? Let us know what you find out!

John