Having not read that book I rely on your description below. That sounds like they are building a plug out of the strips then discard the plug and are left with the canoe shell. That's fine but the foam is not part of the finished product, it seems.

"Foam core" has a very different meaning in kayak hulls though - the "foam" is not the squishy type as in minicell and it is sandwitched b/w layers on both sides.

: there's a book out "building your own Kevlar Canoe"

: http://www.amazon.com/Building-Your-Kevlar-Canoe-Foolproof/dp/0070430365

: The author uses stations and then strips it with styrofoam strips. Sands them
: in to a plug and glasses over that. It's actually a fairly common way to
: make a plug. Styrofoam or builders foam sands easily, it's cheap and stiff
: where as mini cell is none of those. Plus you scrape away the core and are
: left with a fiberglass boat. Wood strips are fairly strong, stiff, easily
: workable and beautiful and not expensive.