The quality of the marine plywood for any plywood boat building project is an absolute critical factor. In fact, for any construction job where plywood is a major component, whether for structural, interior, exterior or marine application, investing in the right quality plywood has the potential to pay serious dividends well down the track.
For us the quality and strength of the marine ply was of parmount importance. We needed to get this decision right.
Horror stories are everywhere about cheap imported plywood failing in some way or another - and not always just due to poor or inadequate coating/sealing either.
The idea we could end up with a less strong structure or be faced with having to repair/replace plywood at a future date is not an option for us.
Dispelling a common myth
If you were under the impression that maine ply is all the same, or the BS1088 standard guarantees the highest possible quality, then you will be just as surprised as I to learn this is not the case. The quality of BS1088 standards marine plywood can be very different from one manufacturer to the next.
Our choice of the genuine Australian Austral Plywoods manufactured marine plywood comes after extensive research which included seeking opinions from leading boat building companies, highly qualified shipwrights and professional boat builders from within the Australian boat building industry. The Austral Plywoods marine plywood product is extremely highly regarded in terms of sheer quality and strength.
Other reasons why we could not go past the Austral Plywoods manufactured product include ....
Austral Plywoods Marine Plywood manufactured to AS/NZS 2272 - 2006 has a permanent Type A phenolic bond. It is manufactured from selected species based on density, bending strength, impact resistance and surface finishing characteristics. Austral Plywoods marine plywood is manufactured from plantation Hoop Pine, a designated marine specie.
Super E0 formaldehyde emission rating
Austral Plywoods marine plywood products are certified to Super E0 (view certificate), the lowest emission rating obtainable.
Structural Properties
Hoop Pine marine plywood manufactured by Austral Plywoods possesses a stress grade of F17. This superior stress grade is attributable to Austral's premium Hoop Pine resource, the efficient utilisation of that resource, and a commitment to quality manufacture. Marine plywood manufactured to BS1088, as imported into Australia, does not have predictable structural performance. Imported ply is not manufactured to meet with the superior F17 stress grade classification requirements.
Grading
Marine plywood to AS/NZS 2272 - 2006 has two A grade faces and a Type A bond. In the Australian Standards grading system therefore it has a grading of AA-A bond. There is no second grade marine plywood.
Usage
Marine plywood to AS/NZS 2272 - 2006 should be used in hulls of boats and where specified in other marine applications and indeed is also suitable in aircraft construction. Marine plywood to overseas standards must not be substituted for AS/NZS 2272 - 2006 marine plywood. For assured performance marine plywood should be branded with the "EWPAA Tested" marine plywood stamp.
A 100% fully sustainable resource
The light weight Hoop Pine specie used in the manufacture of the Austral Plywoods marine ply product is 100% plantation grown and managed by the Queensland Government's commercial plantation forest grower, Forestry Plantations Queensland (FPQ).
When you build, repair or recondition a boat utilising Austral Plywoods marine ply not only will you be utilising a high quality product to begin with but you are also making an effective contribution to a cleaner and greener environment.
Utilisng materials derived from fully sustainable sources is something that should very much, where ever possible, be a priority consideration for any home or professional boat builder or repairer/restorer.
At the time of our order Austral Plywoods were gearing up for another manufacturing run of marine plywood. This presented a unique opportunity to record the manufacturing of the very plywood we were to receive.
The below grouping of images capture the process of a marine plywood manufacturing run in the ultra modern Austral Plywoods facilities which included the actual marine ply destined to be used in the construction of the commemorative edition Hartely TS21 trailer sailer ...
More information specifically on how we go about utilising this exceptional quality marine plywood in the building of the commemorative edition Hartely TS21 trailer sailer is available ... Plywood Planking the Hull
Austral Plywoods were gearing up for another manufacturing run of marine plywood. This presented a unique opportunity to record the manufacturing of the very plywood we were to receive.
The 
For us the quality and strength of the 
A 100% fully sustainable resource
