New builder here... some questions before I actually start

[chaertl]

I see the meranti option has already been brought up but another option for a different color on the transom is the Beahan stains sold by CLC. I'll probably get flamed for admitting this but I've gone to the dark side and started a small power boat. The transom called for 3/4" ply and I had a choice between a $220 sheet of okume or a $60 sheet of fir. Being cheap I went with the fir and stained it mahogany brown. You have to be careful when staining under fiberglass to avoid adhesion problems and fading but the Beahan stains are made for it.


Chris

[kevinbright]

Thanks for the tip... I'll check that out. I'm trying to be cost-sensitive and that sounds like a good way to shave off a few hundred bucks.

[John in CC]

I know it is a bit pricy, but I bought a Festool sander and dust extraction. https://www.festoolproducts.com/Festool-P26571903-ETS-150-3-CT-26-HEPA-Dust-p/p26571903.htm?gclid=Cj0KEQiAq920BRC8-efn57XrotYBEiQAlVlMQ_bFYD_Go7hc72mQOJ20LmnWFPqh3EibG5NYxoFI4R0aApwz8P8HAQ

It was the best purchase tool wise I ever made. The vacuum starts as soon as you pull the trigger on the sander. The system is three times the price of comparable products but is four times as good. It was the first Festool purchase I have ever made. After the price shock I have never regretted the purchase.

[mark48]

As a new builder myself, I've been watching this thread as I am very sensitive to the need for careful budgeting in anything boat-related. That said, I think it's worth pointing out that the majority of one's investment in building any boat is one's own time and effort. Thus I believe a convincing argument can be made for sourcing materials for a PocketShip directly from CLC. They buy in bulk, know the material(s), and have a tremendous interest in doing well by their customers. They would have zero interest in passing on an inferior product for boat-building, while a yard unfamiliar with marine demands might not be so cautious. If you have a reputable alternative locally, so much the better; but if not, I can imagine being sorry down the road for cutting corners in materials selection. Just a thought...

As with other builders, please do share your journey. We learn so much from those who have gone before.

All the best,
Mark

[kevinbright]

Good point, but Noah's Marine Supply has a good reputation, and their price for meranti is about half of what CLC charges for okoume. Meranti is actually more resistant to rot than okoume, although it's also heavier.

[DanaDCole]

From my point of view, for a small sailboat or cruiser heavier is better, so long as it is low in the boat. I don't know how much heavier meranti is than okume, and so far have not been able to find out, but if it is significantly heavier then it could be a boon to use it in the keel and lower hull panels (as long as you are able to bend those lower panels properly when using the denser meranti -- wet, hot towels are a huge help). Anyway, in my limited experience, weight low on the boat and wood stiffness add a lot to the stability and handling of the boat. Use okume higher up--it is lighter and often has a smoother finish.

One caution I have read about, not all merantis are the same. Be sure it is 5 ply BS1088 marine meranti, and supposedly the best brand is Hydrotek.

All that being said, the folks at CLC have done a lot of research on this and have many combined years of experience. I think you can rely on their judgement--more spent now could save you a ton of money in the future. You can find a lot of horror stories on this forum by people who have used inferior materials. This is especially so in the keel, centerboard and centerboard trunk, and lower hull panels. It is difficult if not impossible to effect repairs to the keel and CB trunk. Take a look at the threads in the Forum Posts: "How is this possible, and how can I fix it?!" and "Centerboard of Doom!."

Another good source of information on this is Sam Devlin of "Devlin Designing Boat Building" http://devlinboat.com/, although his opinions sometimes vary from those at CLC.

[kevinbright]

Dana,

Thanks for the response... I've read your blog... very informative and a great build!

Regarding the meranti v. okoume, I'm a bit conflicted. I've read some references to okoume that are less than favorable when it comes to boat building (i.e., it rots if even sneeze on it ). I realize meranti is heavier and may be harder to bend near the bow, but it's cheaper and heavier may be better.

The manual references meranit as an acceptable building material. I don't think CLC decision to use okoume, as opposed to meranti or any other marine grade plywood, was necessarily based on it being the best material to build pocketship from. It could be because they have a better source for okoume, or maybe because it's lighter and therefore cheaper to ship.

In any event, I'd like to hear from actual pocketship builders who have used meranti before making a definitive decision. I know of only one builder at the moment that used meranti, but I don't think he kept a blog.

Anyway, thanks for the input. I need to read up more on okoume v. meranti in general.

Kevin

[craig]

I used Hydrotek Meranti for my build. I loved that material. It's heavier, stronger, and more rot-resistant than Okoume. It has a darker color too, when varnished. You wouldn't need any stain I don't think. Below is a picture of my transom with varnished but unstained Meranti -- its darker than okoume, but not as nice as Sapele, I'll admit. Meranti is endorsed by the Pocketship manual as being perfectly adequate for construction. I did the math before building, and Pocketship will be 70ish pounds heavier using Meranti. This isn't a problem for a boat with a recommended 300-plus pounds of lead in the bilges/keel, and in fact I used less lead as a result. Meranti is stiffer than okoume, but the extra difficulty in bending the bilge panels shouldn't dissuade anyone from using it - it goes pretty quickly. I have no regrets using Meranti and think it's a great choice for budget-conscious or non-budget conscious people, regardless.

I ordered from Noah's and didn't have any issues. The plywood was BS 1088 marked and didn't contain any voids that I ever found while cutting. It's beautiful wood. I saved all the plywood waste and drove my wife insane when we moved and had to haul all this "junk" plywood around.

2.jpg (165.84 KiB) Viewed 6548 times

[kevinbright]

Ok, I've found a reference to the relative weights of okoume and meranti:

http://www.noahsmarine.com/Canada/Plywo ... s-can.html

Based upon 11 sheets of 6mm, 5 sheets of 9mm, and 1 sheet of 4mm, the total weight would be:

Meranti: 469 lbs
Okoume: 382 lbs

So the difference is only 87 lbs, and would actually be less than that since you aren't using the entire 4x8 sheet of wood. I left off the 18 mm sheet, since that's for the transom and I think I may splurge for sapele.

I've also read a few references that seem to indicate that meranti is definitely more difficult to bend, but certainly not impossible. I've also found more references to meranti being much more rot resistant and stronger than okoume. Since it's cheaper, stronger and more rot resistant, I'm leaning towards using meranti. Also, it's a darker wood, and I like the look of darker vs. lighter wood, in the event I leave any of the wood unpainted.

Kevin

[kevinbright]

I used Hydrotek Meranti for my build. I loved that material. It's heavier, stronger, and more rot-resistant than Okoume. It has a darker color too, when varnished. You wouldn't need any stain I don't think. Below is a picture of my transom with varnished but unstained Meranti -- its darker than okoume, but not as nice as Sapele, I'll admit. Meranti is endorsed by the Pocketship manual as being perfectly adequate for construction. I did the math before building, and Pocketship will be 70ish pounds heavier using Meranti. This isn't a problem for a boat with a recommended 300-plus pounds of lead in the bilges/keel, and in fact I used less lead as a result. Meranti is stiffer than okoume, but the extra difficulty in bending the bilge panels shouldn't dissuade anyone from using it - it goes pretty quickly. I have no regrets using Meranti and think it's a great choice for budget-conscious or non-budget conscious people, regardless.

I ordered from Noah's and didn't have any issues. The plywood was BS 1088 marked and didn't contain any voids that I ever found while cutting. It's beautiful wood. I saved all the plywood waste and drove my wife insane when we moved and had to haul all this "junk" plywood around.

2.jpg

Craig... you beat me to it! Thanks. My calculation was 87 lbs more, but that's using the entire sheet, so your estimate is probably more accurate. I was going to ask you post a picture, so thanks for that. Any more pictures?