Brian,

I have the same problem in Texas finding clear wood. Home Depot and Lowes are where I got my WRC. I did pick thru the lumber piles until I found some clear "enough". Realistically I was lucky to find 2 boards in a new stack that I was willing to use. They put in a new stack about every 2-3 days, so I was able to find enough in 1 weeks dedicated looking. You have to let it dry since it is not Kiln dried, some cutting to size will make that faster. My plan now days is to try and find a board with one significant knot, cut that out and scarf the board with epoxy, then cut the stringers. I wish I lived up north. The dacron or nylon skins from George Dyson or Jeff Horton (Kudzu Kayaks) ends up being a lot cheaper and lighter than plywood.

I was thinking about Basswood for the frame. The one local real lumberyard has long, very clear lengths of wood, close to the same density of WRC. It is a plain wood, but you can't see the wood in general. I have never seen anyone discuss using it. It also was the cheapest wood I could buy. It is mostly cut into short fat lengths for wood carvers.

If you really want a plywood skin try Baltic birch. The stuff I can get locally (1/8" minimum) is very good quality (minimal knots and voids in the layers) but it is an interior glue - have to be coated with glass and epoxy, and heavier than fir or Occume or lauan. If you want a ply skin there is no reason to make a frame - it will just make it heavier for no benefit. Lots of plans for stitch and glue - I have one and it is tremendously stiff and strong using 4mm (0.160") Occume. It is also heavier than an equivilent SOF.

Marc

: Thanks for the input. I did consider the multi-chine Sea Bee. One
: of the big problems I have, being located in the Chattanooga
: area, is finding decent wood. I really wanted to do a plywood
: skin-on-frame (like Fishstalker) but I would need 1/8th in lauan
: to do that and finding thin plywood is tough (and the extra cost
: of plywood and fiberglass would probably put me over budget).
: Along the same lines, finding clear dimensional lumber is almost
: impossible unless you buy tongue-and-groove (premium price and a
: lot of unusable waste). With the recommended stringer dimensions
: for the single chine I could get away with the small knots found
: in the local spruce. I will see if I think I can get enough
: clear sections to make the thinner stringers.