Kwila or iroka?

[Steve]

I am quite new to working with wood but since I bought a boat am really getting in to it and enjoying it. I am replacing the rubbing strip (a strip of wood 2" wide that runs down the side of the boat to protect the hull from bumps and scrapes). The current strip is made of 2 * 1" strips to allow the curve to be made without too much effort. Currently the inner and outer strips are both ?. I am told that this is not a good choice for the outer strip since its compression and subsequent water absorption characteristics are poor. Basically its easily crushed which damages the paint and then soaks in water and rots. The inner strip is fine but the outer is soft and wet in a number of places. ----I am getting to the question--- I have been told by different people to use either Kwila (Moluccan ironwood or Johnstone River teak) or Iroka for this both of which are easily available to me in NZ and relatively cheap. I have found some info on Kwila

but cannot get anything on the properties of Iroka. A resent repair to part of the strip done by a local boat builder was with Iroka but I am sure he originally said he would use kwila so it could be that he just used what he had available. Does anyone have any advice, suggestions or info on iroka to help me make the choice?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

[Charlie Self]

Steve wants to know:

Try Iroko. Though if you're in NZ, it may not be the same, as it is African.

Charlie Self "When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary." Thomas Paine

[Steve]

Charlie,

I have seen lots of iroko links but don't know if it is the same thing and cannot find anything to actually confirm the link.

Thanks.

Charlie Self wrote:

[Steve]