I know I'm going to get a lot of flack on this:

My last boat - a hybred S & G (sea spirit) was made with El Cheapo $9. a 4 x 8 1/8" doorskins (Luan) I bought 1 extra sheet for voids. You run a drop light behind the shets and the voids look like light lines. One sheet had none and the others had about 1 or two each about 6" long running in from the edge. No problem at all.

The outside veneer was beautiful. Inside veneer fine but not great. I painted the hull anyhow so didn't care. One layer of 6 oz cloth on the outside and a layer on the cockpit of the floor. The rest of the inside was just epoxy coated.

The boat is very strong. You have to remember that you're taping the seams and fileting them. And the panels are small in width. So the strength is there - believe me. The panels can't bend. And if someone rams you with a pole, the Okume may hold up better.

My deck is stripped. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Okume is better no doubt ( I did two S & G's with it) But I would never pay that again for a S & G hull. I enjoy beating the system too.