The cabin sole (floor) had originally been constructed from 1/2″ spruce ply. The thickness was nearly sufficient but the sole was tired and smelled of the old tar lining.

I looked into using a marine ply with a teak and holly veneer but it looked to be more “yachty: and quite expensive. Our vessel is a working family vessel, where things will dropped, sand will be scuffed etc. Inspired by shipwright Tim Lackeys work, I decide to laminate a thick hardwood veneer to marine ply.

I decide to use 3/8 ply wood and laminate it to 1/4″ of ash. A local ash was available rough from a mill near by. After stickering and drying it, it was jointed then resawed  on the bandsaw, and then planed it to a thickness of 1/4.

The original plywood sole was used as a pattern. The new plywood was laminated to the ash strips with thickened West System epoxy, and held in place by a huge number of clamps, weights and brad nails.

And now to the finishing stages.

Shown with second coat of thinned Epiphanes Gloss