Hello builders,
I'm about to embark on building a skin on frame from Chris Cunninghan's book. My only problem is gunwale wood. Spruce around here (Ontario) is so full of knots, I can't get a 3" width for gunwales. I was going to use pine (5/4, rough, select (no knots)) that I could plane to 7/8", but the major lumber supplier worried it would be too brittle to bend for gunwales. They recommend ash (5/4, rough, green) as being more supple. But it is almost double the density! Cost is the same for me as pine. The also suggest red cedar (8/4 x 8", rough, vg)but the cost is $200 for 2 gunwales. I'm tempted to go with pine. Any thoughts?

Hi John,
Pine should work well. Check the grain to make sure it is nearly parallel to the board. There isn't really a tight bend to the gunwales so there's not much strain on the wood.You're lumber supplier may have tighter bends in mind. Red cedar, aside from being expensive, is very soft (mortices loosen quickly) and short grained (prone to fractures). Ash is indeed heavy for use as gunwales. It steam-bends well so it will work for ribs, especially if you're able to get it green.
I was at Home Depot this week sorting through 3/4" pine boards. I always start looking at the widest stuff (12" and 10")because there are more clear runs to be found there than in the narrower stock. I found a few 1x10s that were nearly clear and had fairly straight grain.
Chris Cunningham

Hello Chris,

Many thanks for the quick and informative answer to my gunwale question. It was exactly what I needed. I went out yesterday and bought the wood. I'm hoping to mill it up this week and start drilling a bunch of mortices next weekend!

- John