: Hi Stefan

: based on what youv'e listed for a size and from what I remember
: from Morris's book I think you would need a board wider than
: 2-1/2" but as far as the thickness any time you make a
: dimension bigger you add weight. One of the nicest things about
: an SOF is the light weight. you may want to think about it. The
: last SOF I did I use white pine for this application. I really
: don't understand why anyone would want to laminate ribs unless
: you can't get bendable wood. That's a very tedious process and
: you gain nothing from it. Steam bending is fun and not that hard
: once you get the hang of it. The big thing is getting good wood
: otherwise the tools needed are cheap. You may want to look at
: Lee Valleys info on steam bending. They give several options on
: usable wood and the how to info is quite good.

: Kent

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will steam bend the ribs. My concern was having to have a form or jig for each position but based on most of the things I have read and videos watched it may not be necessary.
I think I will try the no-mix oil-based poly. It is so much less expensive. @Kent, I have seen gunnwales sized from 2-3.5" so thought 2.5" would be ok but maybe I will go for the slightly larger size just to be on the safe side. I want a light boat but at 220lb myself an extra pound or so for a bit more strenght is a good tradeoff. Any extra advice is very welcome.

Thanks again
Stefan