Eucalyptus plywood -- and hello!!

[Coco]

Hello to everybody!

This is my first post, so let me introduce myself first :wink:

My name is Enrique, although my friends call me Coco, and I'm spanish.

I have recently received plans for a Core Sound 17, that will become my second self-built boat.

The first one is a 10' pram built from the plans in www.svensons.com/boat/ , and even though it's comfy for a fishing evening or for a couple of hours of sailing...it's just too small for me - I have to sail her sitting in the sole - not telling for me and a friend! :?

So after months and months of searching through the internet, I've finally found what I consider a very smart and well thought sailboat, big enough to cope with the sailing conditions here - in Vigo's bay, NW of Spain -- in every season and with the possibility of a few days cruising or a 10 n.miles trip to Cies islands ( the island at the mouth of the bay, sorry but can't resist fitting here a link of google maps to my homeland -- http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=es&q=vigo&ll=42.264606,-8.743057&spn=0.177344,0.43396&t=k&om=1 )

So finally .... here's my question: Have any of you heard or used Eucalyptus plywood? There are a couple of factories that made it, and both claim it is better than Finnish birch plywood.

Thanks!!

EDITED- Wrong link to boat plans...

[Steve Day]

Coco,

Welcome to the forum! I don't have an answer to your question, but I wanted to welcome you and tell you that I visited Northwest Spain a number of years ago while I was in the Navy. I visited El Ferrol when we loaded our Fleet Oiler at the fuel depot there. By the Google map, I see that El Ferrol is north of your location, but it appears the coast is very similar there to where you are. I remember the area as very beautiful and I think it would be very nice to sail there. I think you are correct in your selection of the Core Sound as your next boat.

Have fun building her and have even more fun sailing her in those waters.

Steve

[Noklin]

Welcome

I checked out the link, great looking place to sail.

I had never heard of eucalyptus plywood, so I can not answer your question. But I did a search on the net and came up with a lot of hits.

This is from one of the sources:

Eucalyptus plywood has excellent strength properties. Eucalyptus plywood is particularly suitable for applications requiring great strength and stiffness, and in which the appearance of the plywood is not of primary importance.

Did not see anything on its resistance to rot.

[Kidd]

Eucalyptus plywood is particularly suitable for applications requiring great strength and stiffness

Based only on the information given in the post above, I would question if the wood will make the bend at the bow. Congratulations on choosing a terrific design to build. I am reaaaaal close to launching my CS 17. June 1 is the target date.

[Coco]

Thanks for your responses!

Actually, i'm planning on a little test and research on this plywood.... the price for this plywood ( marine or phenolic glued) is around 1/4th of the price for Oukume marine plywood! and that's worth a test!

[Steve Day]

Coco,

You are probably doing better with your English than some of the guys over here. You are doing fine.

Again, welcome to the group. We will be interested to hear your test results.

Steve

[Kidd]

Si, su Engles esta muy bien. Tiene un buen dia.

[Jonas]

Coco

Do you have any results of your eucaliptus plywood test?

Here in Portugal all I can find is eucalyptus plywwod too, they have the outside veneer in Okoume, but the inside is eucaliptus.

Jonas

[ricardo]

Coco,

I don't want to hijack your thread but I can't resist: "Ol

[Jonas]

Ol

[Jonas]

I

[ricardo]

Jonas,

I'm pretty sure that eucalyptus plywood mechanical properties are good enough. Everything will be epoxy coated and the hull exterior probably glass sheated too. Okoume is far more rot prone and "soft" then eucalyptus. I had built my Touch

[Coco]

Hi Jonas and Ricardo!

Welcome aboard!

I haven't done any research or test :oops: mainly because a total lack of time.... and probably, i'll have to wait until next spring to start building.

But, speaking about prices, eucaliptus plywood is much, much cheaper than marine plywood or good quality exterior ply..... so the results you have found are really good news!

And the bad results related to "perpendicular static bending" really doesn't matter.... every part of the boat will be part of a structure, a whole, and there is where the real strengh builds up.

And here's a question for Jonas, how's the legal theme in Portugal?

Here in Spain is a real pain in the **s!! The "Comandancia Marina" (Marine Office) requires you to contract a naval engineer to revise and recalculate the plans of the boat you're constructing before they can give you a license plate ... and that would cost around 1000

[Jonas]

Hi Coco

I

[Jonas]

Well... I just phoned.. and definitely there is no need for a recalculation of the boat.

However they could eventually ask for some calculations... I don