Okoume Mahogany Marine Plywood |
Okoume (aucoumea klaineana) also known as gaboon or combogala, is only found in Gabon, the Congo and Equatorial Guinea in Africa. Okoume has a high strength to weight ratio which is why it is the plywood of choice for racing boats and applications where weight is important. It has a specific gravity of .43 and averages 27 pounds per cubic foot. The main drawback of Okoume is that it has no rot resistance. Therefore it is very important that all edges and faces are thoroughly sealed with epoxy and varnish to keep water from penetrating into the plywood. Okoume grows rapidly and regenerates well in clearings which makes it a very renewable. Okoume is light pink in color with a variable interlocked grain. The panels are normally painted or finished bright. |