What is the cost of Basswood over there? It's a nice alternative to cedar, especially when it comes to price. It grows in relative abundance where I live, and if you buy it from the right supplier it costs about 1/10 of Western Red Cedar.

As a cabinetmaker I've neer had a problem with poplar taking stain or dye well, but in the future before you take that step I'd try wetting the hull down with alcohol or mineral spirits one small section at a time to check for spots where you may have missed with your sanding and have glue squeeze-out yet to clean up. The solvent will soak into the wood and it will look shiny like varnish, but it won't soak into the glue, and it will stick out just like it did when you put your dye over it.

I think the reason why so many of us have so many boats in the shed is because there's always SOMETHING we could have done better on the last one...

m