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Materials question

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 5:30 pm
by jdzz
Hi, I received the Sabalo 15 plan for several weeks now. I am getting excited and nervous at the same time. Being a noob I am, I have several questions while gathering materials.

My purpose is to have a light and durable boat while try not make it harder to build than it already is.
1. Can I use 3mm Okoume instead of 4mm and lay fiberglass cloth on both internal and external? Does it make a lot different in weight?
2. What kind of fiberglass cloth to use? There are several on raka.com. I figured the plain weave, but want be sure.
3. Is there a different between one brand of Okoume plywood to another? Noah's Marine has "OKOUME BS1088 3MM 3 PLY A/B" for $40 while others have it $50-70. Am I looking at the right plywood?

Thank you,

JD

Re: Materials question

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:26 pm
by jem
1) You can use 3mm but it will be harder to work with until it's all stitched up. You will save 5-7 pounds in plywood weight.
2) I'd suggest plain weave. If you want really light, use 4 ounce glass but double up on the exterior lower seams and bow & stern stems... about 2" wide extra layer.

Keep in mind 3mm ply and 4 ounce cloth will mean a lighter but less durable hull. It will be plenty strong, but not as strong as 4mm and 6 ounce cloth.

3) Jobert brand marine okoume is just about the best all around. But I think what Noah's sells is a good quality ply as well. Just be aware with A/B grade that one side of the ply will look better than the other. Pick your side before you start drawing and cutting.

Re: Materials question

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:26 am
by woodman
If you smack a rock a little to hard and pop a hole in it.....wouldn't hull repair be a little harder to get to from the inside of a sit-on-top....

Re: Materials question

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 10:03 am
by Wannabe
About everything is location sensitive. Being from the Tx. Gulf Coast when someone mentions SOT I think about them being in the backwaters, bayous and edge of the Bay or a few hundred yards off the beach fishing for Reds or Blacktip sharks. I never thought of using a SOT in a fast running rocky mountain stream. Most of the time the speed of the flow in a bayou depends on the tide and the direction it is going. The worst thing we have is oyster shells, sunken logs, or maby a broke off piling. Down here poking holes in SOT's is not an issue. I can see where it would be up in your neck of the woods.
Bob

Re: Materials question

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 10:22 am
by jem
woodman wrote:If you smack a rock a little to hard and pop a hole in it.....wouldn't hull repair be a little harder to get to from the inside of a sit-on-top....
It would.

Installing some twist-out hatches helps with this but if you get damage in the right location, it will mean having to do some cut out of the cockpit. And actually, that repair process isn't too bad. You have to add some mounting flanges/tabs to reinstall what you cut out. But the worst of it is getting the nerve to start that first cut!!

Re: Materials question

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 8:41 am
by goanywhere
I have punched two holes in my Sabalo. First was a big crack from an overloaded yak crashing down onto my trolley that gave way. I just fixed it from the outside - filleted with thickened epoxy, glassed over that, and epoxy/graphite over that. It's the strongest part of my hull now. :D

I would definitely go the 8oz on the outside of the hull. You can punch holes in 3mm ply with 4oz cloth. Yes, these yaks are fairly easy to repair, but avoiding a hole in the first place beats any repair!

Just a tip. A roll of 'gaffa tape' in your emergency kit is essential (not duct tape, the vinyl coated cloth stuff sticks better). The good stuff will stick even to wet surfaces and works well to cover a hole in an emergency.