Sorry, I don't have a panacea. When I replaced my plywood grid stringers I
used 5/4" composite desk boards on edge. I liked them, but they were heavy.
Subjectivly it seemed they had a little more flex that an equal piece of
wood but I layed them in with epoxy and glass cloth so I think they ended up
rigid enough. Encapsulating foam clearly sucks. I have heard that a few
companies are using vertical pieces of fiberglass alone as stringers.
Transom has to be something besides just fiberglass though or it will be too
heavy. I don't think metals are the answer because I suspect there would be
adhesion problems. Not sure about that starboard stuff, perhaps that would
be a good transom material. I'm only certain about one thing and that is
there has to be something better than plywood.

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 01 Jan 2004 19:37:05 GMT, "Lawrence James"
wrote:

The point of my link to the article was to support my statement that
polyester resin is not water proof. You won't find that I have suggested
that foam core is a good idea. I recognize that salt water can act as a
preservative. But what I see is that many boats are built with plywood.
In
the floor and transom. Some even use encapsulated plywood for stringer
grids. Many will get wet from rain water, not sea water. Not all, but
plenty of them will evetually suffer rot in these areas. So I see
nothing
good about using plywood to build fiberglass boats.


Ok... I'll bite.... what is the panacea for boat building?

--



Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Southport, NC.

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