Why a mahogany second-rate would be a poor investment

Would a two-deck 98-gun second-rate built of Cuban mahogany be a practical warship from 1750 to 1840?

It would be extraordinarily expensive, heavy, and less buoyant than a conventional timber design, making the hull more attractive as luxury wood than as an efficient warship.

The material choice causes more trouble than the gun arrangement. Cuban mahogany would produce a very heavy hull and consume an enormous quantity of rare luxury timber. Its density would reduce buoyancy and useful carrying capacity, while the wood's value could make the ship attractive as a prize. The reuse of old ship timbers as furniture shows how valuable seasoned hardwood could remain after a vessel's service ended.