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Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on April 18, 2009 at 8:30am

Hello Dale,

I think you should match the wood that is currently in your boat. It is likely one of three: VGC Douglas Fir, Alaskan Yellow Cedar, or Port Orford Cedar.

POC is the top quality wood that has the best compromise of stiffness, light weight, rot resistance, and ability to hold fasteners.

Alaskan Yellow Cedar is more abundant and can be found in most lumber yards. It is the common replacement for POC.

VGC Fir is strong and holds fasteners better than the other two but is heaver and has a tendency to split along the clear vertical lines. This splitting is usually caused by a sharp corner cut in the vertical grain direction such as foot holes in the floor boards or square cut drains in the bottom of the frames. It is a great wood but you have to take care not to introduce a pressure point with the grain.

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