White glue and water-resistant carpenter's glues are cheap and dry in an acceptable time.

If you get a bead of construction glue that is 100 feet by 1/8 inch from a tube of that stuff, you'll be able to bond only 5 or 6 strips per tube. Figuring about 10 tubes at $2 a tube you've got $20 invested in glue. That is about 3 or 4 times more than what you'll spend for the usual glues. You could try to just put on dabs of construction adhesive, just like you could just put on dots of white glue, to save a few bucks, but the strength is compromised.

You'll still need staples or one or more of the various staple-less methods to hold the strips until the glue sets. "Self-Clamping" is not really going to happen when you are twisting a strip into complying with some complex shape.

Now if you are attaching plywood panels to chines, like in the plywood version of the Putz Walrus, then the filling nature of the construction adhesive is a definite plus. A wide bead of the gunk and a few screws will hold and seal that panel into place very nicely. Switch to a tube of sealant for the outside seams and you could practically build that boat with a caulking gun. (Hey Mike Hanks, here's a Walrus version you haven't tried yet!)

PGJ