Many people in the 1950’s and 1960’s grew up with a wooden boat, despite the evolution of fiberglass boats that begin in the 1950’s, with wooden boat building companies closing up shop in the early 1970’s. Mainly due to wood’s aversion to being soaked in water for extended periods of time and the fact that fiberglass boats could be mass produced quickly and at the time, lower cost, they quickly took over wood as the primary construction material for boat building.
Wooden boats were subject to not only water damage, but also to worm and other insects who found many of the boats quite tasty. Although they had been around as long as man first began floating on water, wooden boats almost disappeared. However, there has always been something about building a boat by hand that some of the boat builders just did not want to give up and many potential customers wanted the long-lasting, timeless beauty that can only be found in a wooden boat.
Recent maritime developments have created resurgence in the demand for a wooden boat such as adhesives, marine-grade plywood, durable caulking and urethane coatings that make wood much more durable than in the past.
Handcrafted Wood Offers More Design Options
Today, a wooden boat is often lighter than one made of fiberglass as well as being stronger. Their fuel efficiency is better and despite a slightly higher price, usually is a better bargain over the life of the boat. There are also many more design options available with wood as each boat is still handcrafted one at a time.
Many boat owners have made the comment that a boat is a hole in the water into which money is thrown and for many people, that may be true. Owning a wooden boat does not allow it to be used occasionally and then forgotten about for long periods of time. It takes a lot of love, affection and hard word just to maintain the original beauty and, if a major problem develops, can be costly to repair. Making the care of a wood boat a family affair, utilizing everyone’s talent, can lessen the burden on a chosen few.
Buying an old wooden boat and restoring it to seafaring condition can be quite a challenge and before making that decision, it should be inspected by an expert to assure the beam and other major parts are in good condition. Otherwise, the boat may end up being kindling while a new boat is built from scratch.
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