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BS 6566 Vs. BS 1088 Okoume Plywood


Ty Cassedy

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In checking plywood sources BS 6566 is considerably cheaper than BS 1088 plywood.  Edensaw's brochure says that 1088 is suitable for hull and deck components.  It says that 6566 should be used in areas not directly exposed to rain and sea.  I also note that the outer faces are 1.3 mm on 1088 and .67 on 6566.  At Noah's 1088 is listed as A/B and 6566 is listed as B/BB.  Both are listed as 5 ply for 6mm and 9mm thicknesses.  I'm trying to get ready to order plywood for a CS 17.  Please share insite on what I should use.

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In checking plywood sources BS 6566 is considerably cheaper than BS 1088 plywood.  Edensaw's brochure says that 1088 is suitable for hull and deck components.  It says that 6566 should be used in areas not directly exposed to rain and sea.  I also note that the outer faces are 1.3 mm on 1088 and .67 on 6566.  At Noah's 1088 is listed as A/B and 6566 is listed as B/BB.  Both are listed as 5 ply for 6mm and 9mm thicknesses.  I'm trying to get ready to order plywood for a CS 17.  Please share insite on what I should use.

6566 quality can vary alot.    Its a lower standard for a reason.  I personally would not use it for the hull.  The 1088 is beautiful stuff. 

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BS 1088 assures you that there are no voids in any of the layers of the plywood among other things.  No other rating assures this.  Having voids in any layer seriously compromises the structural integrity of the material.  I rate my time and energy of a value to deserve nothing but the best in materials.  You need to evaluate if this applies to you or not.  Are you willing to build an entire boat to then discover a failure in your materials?

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ditto previous posts - BS1088 is the way to go. The CS-17 is a beautiful boat and you will want to keep it and use it. The handful of extra $$$ spent on BS1088 is worth it.  When I was building stock outboard racing hydroplanes - useful lifetime before racing abuse or design improvements rendered them obsolete about three years - I used BS1088 plywood. Nice wood to work with - no ugly surprises when cutting it to shape. 

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Given that the hull and structure will prove the most difficult part of the boat to update later on....

I would not opt for plywood savings to be any part of economizing on the build.

Nor would I on epoxy for that matter.

If you need to save money on the build, I would suggest simplifying rigging and eliminating some tackle early on with all sprit controls on the sprit and not led by tackle and some such measure.  Likely you would get same initial savings as going to cheaper ply and then you can upgrade later....

One consideration to save money might be to use BSA 1088 Merranti instead of Okoume.

Savings are typically one half the cost albeit at about 20% heavier panel weight....

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The 6mm Okoume that I got from Noah's is wonderful wood.  Many photos on the Lapwing #5 Build thread where it's being twisted and tortured.  And, it's quite light.  When completed and painted, the Lapwing's hull only weighed 140 pounds.  That Okoume is great stuff.

John, what is the state of completion of your 140# hull?  Sounds light to me for the completed boat.

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The 6mm Okoume that I got from Noah's is wonderful wood.  Many photos on the Lapwing #5 Build thread where it's being twisted and tortured.  And, it's quite light.  When completed and painted, the Lapwing's hull only weighed 140 pounds.  That Okoume is great stuff.

John, what is the state of completion of your 140# hull?  Sounds light to me for the completed boat.

I don't want to derail this thread, so meet me over here:  http://www.messing-about.com/forums/index.php?topic=6910.135

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I have been beating my head against the wall for 6 months on the topic of ply.  I live in the UAE and am building a Belhaven, but sourcing marine ply is impossible.  I found some nice BS1088 marine for the hull, but this particular yacht builder is now bankrupt and was the only importer of good ply.  I am currently using a 3 ply film faced "marine" ply, but it only comes in 12 or 18mm.  When it comes to the cabin and decking, I'll be forced to use a WBP "commercial" grade in order to get 6mm.  It's not ideal, but the best I have available to me since ordering ply is insanley expensive.

My point is that I had a choice, build a boat and make the most of what's available or keep dreaming.  If it is the difference between the project becoming a reality or a fantasy, then I would say go with the 6566.  As for me, I used to refurbish sailboats before I decided to scratch build so I am quite good at repairing rot and damage!  I might end up doing that a bit earlier than I would like to with my boat, but with proper maintenance and a little "tlc" the boat will last many years. 

It's just my 2 cents, but I must agree with everyone else that it's best to use the best ply you can.

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