TOPIC: Hydrokote Marine Plywood

Does anyone have experience experience with Hydrokote Marine plywood? Johnson's Workbench in Charlotte, MI tells me it is 20% more dense than standard marine plywood (I think its called Okoume) but costs about half as much. It's made of mahagony plys inside and out with no man-made wood composites or non-wood products. I explained I would be using it to make the curved transom of the G3. I was planning to make a four sheet laminate of 3/8". The Johnson's guy suggested that a 6 ply laminate of 1/4" would be easier to work with in the molding jig. Any comments/thoughts?

Hydrokote? I don't know, but Okoume I do know. I have used it to build a couple of dinghies. Excellent material. I think the suggestion to use 1/4 is a good idea. This marine ply is very stiff. 3/8 could be too stiff to take the curve. You need to try it out to see if it will take the curve at 3/8.

I have used Marine Okume for all my plywood,in glass boat restorations. Maybe it is a brand name Hydrocoat? Okume is stronger than the typical fir and is also lighter a double benefit.
Look at www.boulterplywood.com I am lucky that I live nearby. They have a very comprehensive site on marine plywoods of all types.

FYI: Doing my G I added a new layer of glass on the inside bare transom overlapping to the sides and bottom to stiffen and reinforce the curved shape. Then I used two layers of 1/4" to match the curve of a G-3 transom, one layer/cure/next layer/cure.
Then I used two 3/8's to complete, same process. I also laminated glass between each layer overlapped to the sides and bottom bottom. I only use Epoxy on my restorations for what it is worth, it bonds much better and is a better water barrier than polyester resins.
Marine plywood is vastly superior to construction exterior grades, so it costs more. The Okume is metric so what is called 1/4 and 3/8 is actually a tad thinner in each case. Sapele is another wood that makes grat plywood, it is more mahogany like in look than the okume. None of these are true "mahogany" but that does not make them inferior they just are not quite as pretty if leaving natural.
Randy

Thanks to those who answered. I have new info. First, the product is called "Hydrotek" rather than "Hydokote" as I first referred to it. Second, I have learned that it is also known in lumber-store circles as "meranti" and is a recognized alternative to "okoume" and costs about a third less (a 4' X 8' X 1/4" goes for $55 to $58/sheet.) It is normally available in several locations in mid-Michigan including my home-town, Flint. However, there currently is a world-wide shortage causing a wait time of two months on quarter inch. Half inch is available but apparently because it's a slow mover and most lumber yards simply have some on hand. Several suppliers have related the same explanation. The quarter inch comes from a single plant in Viet Nam and it shut down before Christmas for some reason. It is now coming back on line and promising product in the supply stream late February early March. It's advantages besides price are that it is 20% denser than okoume and bends better than fir but is not quite as flexible as okoume. Since it's pretty cold for outside work now in Michigan, I'm opting to wait for it to become available in March. If there is still a problem, I'll go with the okoume. Thanks again to all.