I'm a New Bee. I like to build my boat for the first time. I want to know
if I can use polyester resin for the 'stitch and glue' method. This is
the only material available and affordable in my place.


You can, but I wouldn't recommend it. Polyester resin is not an adhesive
and it's not designed for bonding fiberglass to wood.



I use epoxy now, but in the good old days out in the sticks in S Africa
where epoxy was not easily/cheaply available, I used polyester for stitch
and glue on dinghies, and for glassing the hulls of my plywood cat., never
had a failure.
My conclusion is- if you can get epoxy use it, otherwise use polyester, and
be aware that there may be an adhesion problem.



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About the adhesion problem of polyester resin and wood,

from personal experience and from tales from my customers, the adhesion
seems to fail say 5 - 10 years down the line.

paul oman
progressive epoxy polymers
www.epoxyproducts.com/marine.html