Info for Filipino Boat Builders

I built this boat on Bohol Island in the Philippines and so I would like to give some extra and usefull information for the Filipino Boat Builders.

How much does it cost to build this boat?

All in all not more than 15,000 Peso. While the 4 sheets of plywood costs only about 2000 Peso, most of the money goes for the epoxy resin and the paint ( I used epoxy paint).

However, the epoxy paint does not like the bright sunlight in the Philippines and it may cause bubbles. It's better to use accrylic paint on top of the resin coating.

Building the cheap canoe with only 2 sheets of plywood costs about only 5000 Peso.

Ordinary or Marine Plywood?

I used marine Plywood (St. Clara) for my boat but you can use ordinary plywood as well. It is important that you will put at least 3 coatings of clear epoxy resin on the whole boat. That makes the plywood water proof.

Where to buy the Epoxy Resin?

There are only a few companies in the Philippines who sell the right epoxy resin suitable for boat building. Epoxy used for car repair can not be used for building boats this way.

The Marine Epoxy you can buy in any hardware store in the Philippines is good only as a filler but not useable for the fiberglass.

I bought the Epoxy Resin and the Fiberglass at SEA Olympus Marketing in Mandaue (Cebu). The same company has offices also in Manila and Davao.