Marine (BS1088) -v- WBP Plywoods

Late to the conversation and thread is rather long.

I didn't have time to read all posts, but thought I would share my views as a pro builder anyway.

Once a boat is built it is far easier to upgrade items sucha s rigging and sails and such stuff than to upgrade the base structure of the boat.

I would opt to economize on other aspects of the boat before choosing a lesser grade of ply.

As a pro builder, the savings form lesser ply is miniscule over entire cost of boat. My labor is more expensive than materials of boat.

I simply will not build with anything less than 1088 ply from a recognized supplier such as Shelmman or Brunzeel or Joubert. And I always get it from a distributor with a reputation at risk who is not going to sell knockoffs.

I wouldn't touch Chinese ply irregardless of what label is put on it. Not that they can't make a good panel mind you but they seem to have their fair share of charlatans cheating people and little internal policing that I simply have no confidence in them at all.


Now, when building for myself as opposed to hired work, I have used lesser panels before such as MDO Medium density overlay which is a fir panel with paper resin bonded to the faces.

I had read on forums as to what a nice product it was and how much it saves.

I no longer ever consider such and will now only use 1088 on personal builds as well.

It is not a question of lopngevity or usefullness, but the savings were not all that great and it doesn't work nearly as nice.

If I need to save money I buy Hydroteck Merranti as it is substantially cheap[er than Okoume althoug it is about 20% heavier, doesn't bend nearly as nicely as Okoume, and it has copious splinters that burn in skin contact.

The MDO I bought was roughly same price as Merranti, didn't bend nearly as well and was heavier and had voids.

I much prefer building with 1088 Okoume.

I won't even give a thought to using US Fir based plys such as AC exterior etc.

Now all fo above is based on prices I get for 1088 with a major marine lumber yard serving all of the pro shosp up and down the coast here in Maine and from what I have seen my prices are better than what others in other locations have to work with.

And it is al together possible that in EU you have better quality panels generaly available to the building trades which can clearly alter the equation, but that is how I see it here.

At best on a 17 foot boat cheap ply might save 2-500 dollars US. Thats not much of a savings when looking at a boat that will end up costing around $17,000.00 is it? If a client insists on the cheap ply I advise them that I don't think I am the right builder for them and they may wish to check with other builders instead.