Why Wood

When molded fiberglass came on the scene in the 1950's, a boat building revolution followed. Pleasure boats were now produced by mass production and boating became affordable to a large segment of the population. Wood had been the material of choice in building boats ever since man first put out to sea. But most boats were subject to rot and worm damage. Building wooden boats was costly since each boat was hand crafted. Wooden boats seemed destined for extinction or for museum viewing at best. But some die-hard craftsmen continued designing and building with wood. Why? Wood boats could be built economically one at a time, unlike fiberglass. Wood has great design flexibility and a "timeless beauty". Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but few beholders would deny that wood boats are very pleasing to the eye.
In recent years a counter-revolution has occurred. It's back to wood more and more. The main reasons are:

• epoxy adhesives
• urethane coating
• marine grade plywood
• durable high-tech calks.

These four product developments have eliminated a good deal of the previous pains with wood: rot, worms, leaks, and peeling paints.

The added advantages are that today's wood boats are lighter- meaning more fuel efficient- and stronger than their fiberglass counterparts.