Materials for decks and superstructures ???

Plan calls for a 3 layer 1/4 marine plywood. Molded in place.
Alternative design for the roof is balsa cored fiberglass. deck still in plywood.


At least for roof tops and sides, I find this heavy.

What would be the problems of a cored contruction, say inner / outer layer 1/4 (or thinner) marine plywood, core 1/2 (or thicker) end grain balsa.
Of coure core replaced by real wood at all fixation points.

A kind of molded in place balsa core plywood (baslalin, balsamarine etc ...)

Thanks.

 

Sure, an end grain balsa-cored panel is actually stiffer than a plywood-cored one, due to the better fiber orientation.

Yokebutt.

 

I don't know your boat, but maybe the deck need that strength globally even if a sandwich will be more than stiff enough locally. The deck has to have almost the same global strength properties as the keel+bottom.