http://www.mcilvain.com/contact-us/

- has a facility in Maryland, been around a long time.

I bought some 5mm years ago (30?) from

http://www.boulterplywood.com/MarinePlywood_4.htm

- up in MA. Good people too.

You may want to look for local builders who order quantities with some regularity, see if you can save $$ on shipping if they'll piggyback what you need on a truck carrying their next delivery.

'Course you'd need a way to bring it back to where you'll be using it....

More detailed search turned up

http://www.capitolcitylumber.com/lumber-plywood/plywoods/marine-hechtout-okoume-plywood

- in NC. Good luck! (Whatchabuilding, hmm?)

Chesapeake 17, I have built the Koholo,14 and the sailrig kit, but not a true CLC kayak kit before. 

Number 1 question....I see its listed at 44 pounds, can I lighten that at all?

   I did a handful of 17LT's that ranged in weight from 39.5-42#.

Strategies to get under 40 include:

Smaller-than-you-think fillets

For painted hulls, apply peel-ply over the glass (eliminates the need for all but one fill coat)

Use a 3oz "tight weave" glass instead of 4 or 6 (caution, use thin, warm epoxy to achieve clear wet-out)

No end pours

Use a glass or carbon cockpit rim, or a strip style coaming, rather than the stacked ply method

Radius your sheer clamps, and use cedar

Omit the hatches unless you really need them (a screw-in hatch in the bulkhead behind the seat gives pretty good access back there, for almost no weight penalty)

Glue-laminate the deck arch from thin cedar strips, instead of ply. About 5/8" square is all you need, radiused on the bottom

Omit the forward little deck beam

For flat water, if you're an adventurous builder, use an 1/8" deck, with a set of close-spaced mini "ribs" under the back deck (it is pretty flat, and needs support in case someone sits back there for entry or re-entry)

-all I can think of offhand...

Thanks for all the good info, I will certainly consider all of your pointers.

On my first kayak and on my Koholo I used a lot of thickened epoxy for the fillets.  if I am glass taping the seams, are the fillets really necessary?  Can I "spot" fillet the seams instead of filleting the entire seam?   

>> if I am glass taping the seams, are the fillets really necessary? 

ABSOLUTELY YES!

Without the fillets, the glass tape will pull away from the joints and the joints will also likely leak.

Youcan make the fillets very thin as long as they meet a minimum size requirement (here's how), but you have to have them.

Have fun,

Laszlo

other light-build tips/ideas:

• don't use nails to secure the deck.  use strapping tape to hold deck down until epoxy glue sets. this is standard technique on arctic hawk and i have done several chesapeake decks without the nails.
• for non-structural fillets (the ends of the boat), use microballoons as your thickening material, not woodflour.
• no rails/foot pegs (and associated hardware).  use closed cell foam pads against the bulkhead to get the feet in the right position.
• eliminate the hip plates and just fill out the cockpit with closed cell foam against the inner hull. 
• there are alternative fitting approaches that don't use heavy hardware. this includes redfish style 'soft padeye tm'  http://www.redfishkayak.com/deckrigging.htm   this is one example...but there are several other similar approaches which avoid screws and bolts and washers etc.
• clc used to offer a 'light build' option.  i am not sure of the exact specification and you could talk to CLC for their advice....but basically it swapped out 4mm okoume with 3 mm okoume for deck and i believe the sides (hull pieces stay 3mm).

good luck

h