Wooo, New SeaCraft owner here :-) and boy do i have a project.

[FishStretcher]

Poplar plywood for the deck? It isn't quite clear from your post.

I have ranted about plywood in fiberglass boats before. I say things like it is heavy, wicks water, and is a termite hotel. I'll leave it at that.

Maybe you can get foam for a better deal than I can? I would suggest it. It is expensive, but you will buy a lot of resin and glass, too. Balsa seems to hold up much better and be lighter than ply, too. If I didn't do foam, I would do balsa before I did plywood due to the grain direction and density.

Good luck! It looks like you have a good start, some help and a great workspace.

[Bushwacker]

I agree with FS on the suitability of plywood for the deck core! Check out this article for more info on potential problems with cored construction. If water ever gets to the plywood in just one spot, a large area of the deck will start to rot. You'll see what happens to wet plywood when you open up the transom! Moesly used balsa core for the deck and cap, and those parts on my 42 year old boat are still solid, so you could do worse than building it like it was originally built! Although balsa will also rot if it gets wet, the wet area won't spread as fast as it will in plywood. As Pasco's article mentions, balsa also has better strength properties than most foams and soaks up resin better, so it's easier to get a good bond, and it should be cheaper as well. Among all the foams, he seems to like CoreCell the best.

[Pinnhead13]

Originally Posted by FishStretcher

Poplar plywood for the deck? It isn't quite clear from your post.

I have ranted about plywood in fiberglass boats before. I say things like it is heavy, wicks water, and is a termite hotel. I'll leave it at that.

Maybe you can get foam for a better deal than I can? I would suggest it. It is expensive, but you will buy a lot of resin and glass, too. Balsa seems to hold up much better and be lighter than ply, too. If I didn't do foam, I would do balsa before I did plywood due to the grain direction and density.

Good luck! It looks like you have a good start, some help and a great workspace.

FS, my apologies for the confusion. the poplar and 2x4's are only to fasten to the topside of the deck temporarily to maintain a level deck while i do the resin and glass work below. there are high and low spots that need to be straightened before the Foam gets bonded to the underside of the deck not to mention the reinforcing of any structural issues when lifting the cap off.