The downloadable guides and comparison graphics below cover the major composite materials available to amateur boat builders, including their strength, weight, moisture resistance, epoxy compatibility, ease of fabrication, structural capability and relative cost. They are intended to help answer the most important question before starting a project:

Choosing the right composite material for a boat project isn’t simply a matter of replacing plywood with something newer. Coosa Board, PVC foam board, G10, HDPE, structural foam cores and other composites have very different strengths, limitations, costs and applications. A material that works extremely well for a structural bulkhead may be completely wrong for a cabinet, backing plate or lightweight interior panel.

I use composite materials extensively in my own sailboat and trawler restoration projects. The goal of this guide is to explain what these materials are, where I use them, and why I choose one over another based on the actual job.

What is the right composite material for what I’m trying to build?