Self Build Single Hander?

Wood is good but the boat has to be the right shape to make the most of it. In a dinghy you need (unless you are sailing a Finn) the boat to be as rigid as possible. The OK is great for this as if you look at it as an engineering structure you have a deep box section between the sailor and the mast, excellent in torsion.

If you have something with a big open cockpit such as a phantom, solo, then you have to lock it up with tanks down each side and it's more complicated in shape, more joints, more panels maybe better for non wood composites.

The Minisail is another ideal boat to build from wood as it is a box with a very small hole cut in it. The ones that were flush decked (Monaco?) are even better.

So some boats are good for wood and some just aren't.

The next thing is epoxy and carbon. Frankly though it looks beautiful when finished, but the smell, the stickyness, the waste, the environmental impact, the dust hazzards, the unknown health hazzards. Skin cancer/lung cancer here we go!  Uck!!

This sort of material is really unatractive to work with.

So wood is good in the right place and can use a small amount of epoxy in a stitch and glue type system and get a nice result and limit your exposure to the stuff.

(BTW I have no love for styrene based resins, almost killed myself with them when much younger)

What I'd like is for a design specifically using the new polyurethane glues, less off gassing, easier clean up. Fewer environmental impacts, esier for Jo average to use, ie me.

A slightly wider OK  type wood be nice

Originally posted by JimC   There's some ideas being worked out with pre laminated foam/carbon panels too.

What? Like an artificial plywood? Where can I find out more?