An argument-ender and a joyous surprise

Here is another funny bit which I hope will support some of the points I have so often attempted to make about the lack of absolutism when it comes to maintaining quality in a boatbuilding enterprise.

Many times a prudent selection of materials or methods can facilitate significant savings to both the builder and customer without sacrificing utility or durability in the product itself.  Intelligent boatbuilders and designers know where 'good enough' is good enough; and I submit that no engineer in a non-boating field, and certainly no wannabe, should stand on ceremony as to ideal technical specifications when the boatbuilder and designer far outrank them in terms of knowledge base, expertise and focused training and experience.

And so, to the positive example.  How many have claimed that marine plywood is the sole material in use on production sailboats?  I have rebuilt the whole interior of Diana without using a single bit of it; in fact my material of choice is lauan cabinetry plywood, well saturated in WEST epoxy and properly finished in paint or sealer and varnish.  None of this is inadequate when properly done .

Having just cut open the forward end of the vee berth to give access to the forwardmost compartment under the bunktop (in another post here), I took the cut-out piece to the bench to sand its edges in order to use it for the lift-out panel.    Turning over the 9-inch square of plywood I made a startling discovery.

(And how on earth did I happen to choose the exact right place to cut out so that I could have this message appear on the back of the panel?)

If you cannot read it in this photo, here is what it says:

'Roseburg' [name of plywood mill]

'Resin Tite' [trade name]

'Hot pressed' [lamination process]

'Exterior glue'

Hah! --the bunktop in this 1974 Hunter 25 is AB-grade exterior fir plywood-- not marine plywood.  This raw-- unpainted, untreated, unfinished-- piece of plywood has survived 37-1/2 years, much of them seeing little maintenance or attention, in a cheap production sailboat used almost exclusively in a saltwater environment on the New Jersey shore.  This very piece came from a closed-in, dead-air compartment with no ventilation which no one has laid eyes or hands on in all that time.  And it shows NO signs of rot, water saturation, mildew, dampness, discoloration or anything.  It's as healthy as would be a piece of plywood stored in your attic.  Simply amazing.

Just so you know.  :)