It all depends how you plan to use the boat. I paddle primarily mud-bottom lakes and gentle streams, day use only, so it's light-duty.

My solo canoe is 3 mm ply with a 6 mm bottom held together by wooden chine logs. It has no glass or epoxy coating, finishes are water-based, latex house paint and Bristol Finish varnish. Many of the joints are Titebond III, only the external underwater joints are epoxy. I feel I overbuilt it, a 4 mm ply bottom would have saved a couple of lb.

It is still in excellent shape. I don't have any problems with rocks and deadhead trees as they're easy to see and avoid. Consequently I can get away with such light construction indefinitely. The boat is so light that pebble beaches are not an issue, I just carry it into shallow water and go from there; no seal launching for me!

Glass and epoxy encapsulation are a recent development in boatbuilding and boats last fine without it. Eliminating it from a modern design that is built around it requires more changes than simply leaving of the glass and pox. The wooden chine logs BTW are not an anti-epoxy fad; unreinforced epoxy fillets are not strong enough on their own and need glass tapes as a minimum. The wood chine logs are simpler, quicker and more pleasant to use, but the S&G method cannot be used.

If you're interested in whitewater excursions, braving heavy weather at sea, or plan long trips, this isn't for you, but it's practical for many folk.