foam cored boat building

[Unregistered]

I am considering building an English designed small sailboat, a Selway-Fisher Pioneer. I like the 23 foot bilge keeled version. It has a hard dodger, junk rig and can be built in either foam core or stitch and glue with sheathed half inch marine ply. I would use the boat around the beach in the Bay of Fundy... hard use, bone simple and very tough. Painted not bright surfaces.

I need the boat to be cheap and easy to build. Which method would be easiest? Does half inch core cell material weigh the same per square foot as half inch marine ply? What about this cove and plank method by Andre B. Anybody use that for this type of boat? Should it be sheathed using epoxy or polyester resin? Would cloth have to go over the foam material?

Thanks for any help you can give. John Harvey

[Noah's]

John
Marine plywood would be less expensive than foam and polyester resin with glass, but not necessarily easier. Core cell boats can go together very quickly if you are used to working with fiberglass. Core cell is about ? the weight of plywood, so you will have a lighter boat. Andre B?s book uses a power boat for most of his examples, but the basic principles can be applied to any hull. The fiberglass on a foam boat is heavier than on plywood because the structural strength is in the glass over the core. You should ask the designer for a specific laminate schedule for the foam version.
Ric