Has anyone tried to build an entire boat with sapele wood? Is this recommended?
Pygmy used to have the option on some of their kits of doing the entire boat with Sapele. I've seen a few and they are beautiful. The down side is that the Sapele plywood is a bit heavier (and more expensive), but it does make a beautiful boat.
Here's a link to a photo of one:
http://www.seakayakermag.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1150&page=1
I also noticed in working with the Okume and Sapele panels on my Shearwater that the Sapele tended to warp a bit more (not an issue once you get it stitched together, but definitely need to stabilize the hatch covers by gluing to another piece of plywood) and was a bit harder to bevel, but it wasn't that big a deal.
Kathy
My daughter and I are currently building a S&G kayak with Sapele deck and Okouome hull. The Sapele is thinner, but noticably heavier than the Okouome. It is also a lot harder to cut, plane and sand, and twice the price. It looks great on a deck, but probably not worth the cost and effort on a hull that’s mostly unseen. -Wes