You can certainly build something that is shaped like a boat. But, the
structural properties of lauan are so unreliable that putting your 'boat' in
the water is inadvisable, particularly if the water is more than knee-deep.
Use the materials that the designer specifies.

jotis wrote:

Do you think it is possible to build an 8-foot skiff or dinghy using 1/8"
luan?

Joseph