Brian,
I've been involved in the earlier discussions on deck planking and it very much depends on two things: the type and size of craft and the period; and the amount of trouble you are prepared to take. There are a few good sources of information that I know of - I'm sure there are more, but I tend only to know about what I am interested in!
For warships - Norman Ough's British Warship Detail No. 7, Brian King's Modelling Late Victorian Battleships and William Mowll's HMS Warrior book. For traditional wooden ships, David Whites articles in Model Shipwright (reprinted in the 1997 Anthology). If you think any of these might help, let me know and we can sort something out.
Rick