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[CapSizer]

I would appreciate it if somebody could clear this question up for me.  For as long as I can remember, many UK-built plywood dinghies stand out because of the dark colour wood.  Out here in darkest Africa I have never seen plywood of this colour, and I am curious to know more about it.  What wood is it made from, and does it have particularly favourable characteristics?

[Mike Uher]

Hello could be  Mahogony or Meranti veneers.

[Phantom Titch]

In the old days we would call it mahogony, most "Marine Ply" was Mahogony faced, even today you can get it from B&Q, but its called "Water & Boil Proof" (WBP)... Quality is probaly not as good but the modern glues are probably better?!

Titch

[gordon Kingston]

Hi All
Sorry to disagree I thought the veneers were Sapele.
Gordon

[CapSizer]

OK, thanks for those answers.  What about the characteristics?  From what I've seen, there are some significant density variations between different types of plywood, but most of the widely available marine plywoods I've been able to get info for seem to be around  650 kg/m^3.  Would be really nice to get something lighter, around 500 or so, if it exists.

[Lurch]

Think the stuff you are after is Sapele ply (which I'm pretty sure is mahogany).
With regard to the Marine Ply v WBP ply - they are manufactured to different standards, with Marine having fewer voids within the internal layers - both use the waterproof glue......

[CapSizer]

Well, I'm not actually after the stuff, I was just curious about it, wondering if it was significantly better or not.  From what I've been able to find out, Sapele is actually quite heavy, the lightest marine ply seems to be Okoume, a.k.a. Gaboon.

['One-Pint']

You could drop John Claridge an e-mail.  He might tell you what he used to keep the weight of his boats down.

[Phantom Titch]

I thought Sapeele was the light inlays they used to cover over the pins...?!!

I bet JJ knows the answer

Titch

[John Torrance]

Most of the later wooden boats, with double bottoms, used Gaboon plywood to get as near weight as possible. This is quite a soft plywood and fairly light in colour. The older single bottom boats did not have that problem and could be made from mahogany ply, which is harder and heavier.
Sapele is the top veneer the is light and dark stripes, very pretty, very expensive, very thin and makes the ply heavier
John