I agree. Just about any pale hardwood would be an improvement, especially if you were not going to paint the bottom of the hull. Holly would be a great choice since it is bright white. Of course, you would have to cut the planks at the interface where they meet the dark planks above.This seems backwards. Basswood is soft (410 pounds force on the Janka scale, whereas birch is 1260 lbf, three times harder, and less prone to dents and such. I wonder why they have the better modeling wood for the first layer that will be covered over with a soft species.
Allan





