We each bring our own history of experience and desires to boat building.

These shape what we do and what we want. For example.

When I started building strippers 30 years ago I did it because
#1 - I wanted a lightweight canoe,
#2 - I had many building skills and little money.

I wanted a lightweight canoe because I portaged into remote lakes in Northern Ontario to go fishing/camping/exploring. I had an 85 pound aluminum canoe. During a long portage in the rain, with black flies biting me as I did the slippery mud rock tango I swore I needed a lighter canoe to keep having fun. I was swearing a lot that day.

As someone who had extensive experience making things from sculpture to jewelry to furniture and much more, I wasn't the least concerned with how long or, how fast, but how good. As an artist, beauty was a must.

When I looked at the books on strip building they seemed pretty thin on woodworking/laminate knowledge.

My immediate reaction was I can build it lighter. I used the hiker's code of "keep an eye on the ounces and the pounds will take care of themselves", so first I used 3/16" strips instead of 1/4".

This is all to give you an idea of my process and evolution.

All of ours will be different. If you live on the water or don't portage, or don't find gravity increasing every year, then lightweight might not be important. Speed of build and low cost might be.

I wasn't trying to be a smart-ass by posting that intercepting values chart, the truth is you can't have it all.

I didn't realize until recently how different System Three Epoxy is from MAS. MAS cures in half the time or less of System Three. Clearly each of these companies had different ideas of their needs for boatbuilding. I now use both to capitalize on the strengths of each.

As far as hypothesizing goes, it can be a waste of time without hands on experience.

Solutions to problems are easy, coming up with a solution that doesn't create three new problems is the trick!

It shouldn't take you long to figure out your path once you get your hands dirty.

Have fun!
Rob