Why shouldn sheet plywood planking be fastened to transverse frames?
The properly designed plywood planked hull incorporates as much as possible the principles of monocoque or “stress-skin” construction. Stitch-and-glue boats that depend upon glue bonded junctions reinforced with fiberglass tape often show pure adherence to such principles. However, not everyone is willing to trust their fate only to glue bonds; many still favor the extra security that fastenings and some internal framework can provide. After all, such construction has been proven strong and durable for generations whereas stitch-and-glue is still the new kid on the block. But even when transverse frames are part of the design, it’s the plywood skin that takes the stresses which are ultimately transferred to glued and/or fastened joints at panel edges. And if such panels are fastened across the grain to frames, localized stresses that can lead to failure of the panel can be generated. How so? Consider a plywood panel curved in place around a hull as being analogous to corrugated cardboa
