Re: floor and transom removal progress and ?
jcsercsa:
Plywood is being used in flooring beams extensively now, almost to the exclusion of NGW because of economics. When the direction of the ply is aligned correctly the "stiffness" of the material is an improvement over NGW. The thin center web of the beam is a wonderful use of the properties of plywood. One of the big bonuses in this aplication is that the least expensive material turns out to be the best use. I think you will find that most of the time, the top and bottom of these flooring and ceiling beams are of NGW. I personally have worked with ones that were all ply and they were perfectly fine. They were also used inside of a weathertight house, which is by far a better environment than aboard anyones boat.
The plywood beams also have very little "give" in them, the exact reason they are so sucessful in housing. That may not be the best thing for all parts of a boat. This is one reason that you will frequently find both NGW and plywood in the same boat.
Fiberglassing any wood will increase its strength and that increase is more than just adding up the strength of the fiberglass and the strength of the wood. Another example of this effect is ferro-cement. The effect will be the same if NGW or plywood is glassed.
I'm a wooden boat guy, yet I have to admit that the worlds supply of appropriate wood is rapidly diminishing. Plastic and aluminum boat building has come to the rescue for those of us that want to be on the water without spending the price of our house to get there.
