| Waterproofed plywood has had a revolutionary | | | | using plywood, however. The exposed end-grain |
| impact on boat building in the past century. While | | | | layers at the edge of each panel will soak up water |
| beautiful boats can still be built using traditional carvel | | | | easily and when using plywood, you must make sure |
| or wood plank construction, plywood boat | | | | you seal wood edges and surfaces that will come |
| construction is considerably quicker, easier and often | | | | into contact with water very well, usually with epoxy. |
| cheaper. For beginning boat builders, plywood boat | | | | Otherwise, the wood will rot, or even worse, the |
| building makes it possible to build a small boat in just | | | | boat will leak. |
| a matter of weeks (or several weekends) instead of | | | | When building your first boat with plywood, you will |
| the months required with most traditional wood plank | | | | need to choose between either ply on frame |
| construction. | | | | plywood construction or stitch and glue plywood |
| Plywood, especially marine plywood, is an excellent | | | | construction. Which method you use will be based in |
| boat building material for multiple reasons. For one, it | | | | part on how experienced you are with woodworking |
| is dimensionally stable, meaning that it shrinks and | | | | and also on how quickly you would like to finish your |
| swells very little when exposed to changes in | | | | boat. Framed plywood boat construction is generally |
| temperature and humidity. Plywood is also very light | | | | built upside down on a rib frame. Stitch and glue |
| when compared to other types of wood and tends | | | | construction involves bonding large panels of plywood |
| to be very uniform in structure, which makes the | | | | together and reinforcing them with fiberglass, with no |
| boat building experience much easier, especially for | | | | frame construction. Stitch and glue methods are |
| beginners. Despite its light weight, plywood is also | | | | quicker, but many find the framed construction to be |
| very strong, easily modified using simple tools, and is | | | | a more aesthetically rewarding process. |
| well suited for painting and gluing. | | | | Because of all its excellent qualities, plywood boat |
| Plywood is also relatively affordable when compared | | | | construction is favored by many boat building schools |
| to other types of wood used in wood construction. | | | | and courses. However, with some good plywood |
| The price of plywood sheets will depend on the type | | | | boat plans in hands, you will not need to spend |
| of plywood you use for your boat construction, of | | | | thousands (or even hundreds) or dollars on |
| course. Finally, plywood floats really well, which of | | | | instructional materials, since plywood boat |
| course is an absolute necessity when it comes to | | | | construction is so easy for most boat building |
| building boats. | | | | beginners to learn. |
| There is one main weak point when it comes to | | | | |