Glen-L.com

Hi all: I am finishing my first build -- the Glen-L 15 -- and I'm pondering what type of wood to use for the 1/4" wide coaming that surrounds the cockpit and projects a short distance above the deck. The plans seem to specify only the wood's thickness, and since I have lots of leftover mahogany plywood around, and it's so easy to shape, bend and scarf, I naturally wondered...
I plan to coat this item with epoxy (and maybe cover with glass cloth), and then paint it, so the finish isn't necessarily a consideration -- but I'm concerned about strength and weather resistance, especially on the edge grain. Do you folks have any thoughts on whether plywood is suitable for this job?

Can I ask, what material is the carling? Do the shrouds attach to the coaming and the carling? This mahogany ply, is it soft or hard and how many ply is it?

In my opinion the ply would not be a problem. It has strength advantages in that it is a laminate but laminates can pull apart at the edges and flex more readily. If you cover it with fiberglass then you are certain it will not absorb water and start to delaminate. Painting it an opaque colour will allow it to be scratched below the face veneers and not be a problem which is primarily what the solid wood gives as an advantage, it has depth and edge strength.

I would hesitate to use the ply until I could find answers in how to use it effectively but matched to use its best properties it might be a better choice.

Stuart

The plywood is "Philippine Mahogany" (aka Meranti?), rotary-cut and branded Aqua-tex. It is 4-ply, 6mm (1/4") and meets BS 6566. The carling is 5/8" in actual thickness, and is solid Philippine mahogany, as per plans. The maximum unsupported height of coaming over deck would be maybe 1/2 inch or less. Shrouds attach to chain plates -- nothing so far as I know attaches directly to carling. Does that help?