Wood I, wood I!

[Dave]

Wood 4-ever

If you want to experience the art of boat building, on a limited income, would you build a fiberglass boat, wood soaked in expensive epoxy, or something simpler?Here's the question that means the most - will you trailor it or will it be docked? Here's another - how many times a year do you use your boat?Why not build a wooden boat out of readily available lumber yard materials, soak it in a good wood sealer, and keep it out of the weather at home, on a trailer, ready to go!! .......dave

 

[larry w]

woody

My first boat was a wooden racing dink, a Windmill 16. Great little boat,it was like learning to drive in a Maserati. Everything after that has been fiberglass.

 

[Paul Michaelis]

Need a crew

A long while ago, early 50's, I earned my summer pay as a hand on a fine wooden sailboat. Among my chores was getting up before the owner and drying the dew off the brightwork, polishing the brass hardware and washing down the teak deck. Once these jobs were finished, the fun of sailing a magnificent yacht began. This job formed my love of the sea and sailing, but the maintenance effort keep me from owning my own until the advent of fiberglass boats. When Luders came out with their first glass boat, the connection was re-established.

 

[Cheryl Nunez]

Life aboard the wood boat

For years I lived and sailed the aged yawl, Iolaire with author Don Street, jr. who was then writing the Cruising Guides to the Caribbean. Iolaire was strictly no frills with few changes to her cabin area since her keel was layed. She carried no engine; we had no electronics, navigation was carried out by hand, sextant, pencil and paper. We caulked, sanded, ground, pitched, painted and pounded hull and teak deck. We rebuilt her winches, her two tiny Seagull dingey engines, blocks and tackles. We hand pumped her three bilge pumps, hand winched her sails, hand held her tiller. When we were becalmed, we hand rowed her away from shore bound rocks. When when beating out of Hugo, we hand set everything from stormsail to winch lashed tiller. Was she work? Constantly. Never endingly. Lovingly.When I stepped off Iolaire, I stepped into a position of building more wooden boats. Why?Because wood boats are like candles. They have a living charm about them. No two are alike, each will apporach the day in a different glow, some days brighter, some days as a flicker. But always living, breathing, with souls captivating. They do demand care, and love, and work. But they are also a special light that should not be allowed to burn out.

 

[Cheryl Nunez]

Wood boats just smell better

I agree, the woodies DO have a great smell to them. I grew up with wood boats, starting with a Windmill - 14' race sloop, no ammenities, but great hiking straps! In Ireland, they race a wonderful Dragon, the one I crewed was 100 years "old" and there were other, older, Dragons in the fleet. There were also newer, 'glass Dragons as well. They had their own division because 'glass doesn't absorb water like wood. They don't have the same sounds on board. They approach the water with an entirely different feel. I always like to think that part of what comes out of a wood boat's hull - smells and sounds - starts with the day the hull is fastened to the frame. I built 50' catamarans in Venezuela and remember the guys taking their lunch breaks inside the hulls, brewing coffee, steeping tea, boiling soups. All those aromas becoming part of the hulls. The singing - and swearing - discussions on better ways to do things, even the snoring as builders took quick naps, all sounds settling into the wood. Imagine those boats who have lived long and well, what have their hulls picked up and stored away?

 

[Cheryl Nunez]

The Windmill!

Yeah for the Windmills!!! Our first was a 14. Of all the boats we grew up with, that one was my favourite. My father grew up sailing - his family owned an 80' Cheoy Lee, and the lovely Gwendelynne built by commission in Main. Those boats were gone by the time we came to be, but my father realized that our education had been sadly lacking as we had not learned to sail. He bought the Windmill from someone transferring out, and we WOULD learn to sail it - if it killed us all. Three years we sailed and raced that reprobate, all over the Chesepeake. Dad and I were the hellions of the Penguin League. Part of my job as "bowman" was to call out floating, dead, frozen fish - we had hit two the first season, one nearly punched all the way through the Windmill's hull!We left the Windmill in Annapolis when we were transferred to San Diego. I was devestated. But at the Navy Sail Club in SD, there was a Windmill 16 sitting on a bouy. A little raggedy, but a Windmill nonetheless. The first day we hit the Club, I tried to check out the sails for her. No, I was told, no one sails the Windmill; it is only for capsize drills. One must complete all the (lesser) certifications (Sabot, Rainbow, Laser) before one can consider the "less stable" boats. Took me a month, sailing three days a week to complete their training. But a month later I had my cards and returned to get the sails for the Windmill. They were buried - no one had seen them for years, seriously, all they did with it was capsize it! When they did find the sails, there were no battons, no sheets. The Windmill became my summer project. I hauled her, sanded her down, painted her a respectible navy blue (not the "danger orange" she had been), sanded and varnished her mast and boom - found under the sail hut - rebuilt her winches, re-rigged her and finally got to sail her. If I had loved the 14', the 16 was ecstasy!The best part? Screaming in amongst everything moored, headed like mad rabbits for the dock, watching everyone flee for their lives, and tossing her up into the wind to lay to gracefully, broadside to, casually flipping bumpers overside, dropping main and jib as she eased into them. Cannot tell you how many times the dockmaster would just roar, tears streaming, to see this 12 year old chase everyone off the dock, driving hell-bent in the "most dangerous boat ever built" as one member described the Windmill. But then THAT guy sailed a Victory 21.

 

[Mike]

Jim V., I knew someone would say it

I knew someone would eventually post the opinion that wood and fiberglass boats need the same amount of maintenance, and that the only difference is the types of maintenance required. I do love the look, the sound, the feel of a wooden boat, but I just can't get my head around the concept that the two require equal amounts of maintenance. How about it Jim V. (or anyone who agrees with Jim): can you expand on that statement? You can spend an infinite amount of time maintaining any boat, but what I want to know is this: assuming you are a time-strapped modern day worker who gets to use his boat sporadically during the short New England season and you only want to perform the minimum amount of maintenance necessary to keep the boat safe, afloat and looking semi-presentable, will I spend more time maintaining a fiberglass boat or a wooden boat?Before the spring launching of my fiberglass 1979 Oday 23, I do the following: paint the bottom (every third year, touch up every year), wash the hull, apply a one step compound/wax product, try and put on one coat of Cetol to the teak handrails and hatch slides, and wash down the interior. During the summer, I might put on another coat of Cetol and maybe one other project like install a new bilge pump or boom vang or similar size project. I am guessing I spend about 12 hours total in maintenance every summer. Is this what I would spend on a similar sized wood boat?

 

[Scott]

Brillant

As a Christmas gift to my father this year; we (meaning kids and grand kids)were the crew on the schooner Brillant for Memorial day weekend. I am a cabinet maker by trade my skills are amuture compaired to the craftsman that have built this fine ship. I don't know if I enjoyed sailing her or admireing her joinery and craftsmanship more. She is a beutiful ship, and maticulously maintained by captain Moffit and the folks of Mystic Seaport. I learned more about sailing in one weekend than I have during this past year since we bought our ODay 23. Highly recomend the trip to anybody that can get 10 people together for a drip back into the past. Fair Winds Friends

 

[Jim V]

Branford07/26 at 07:33AMBranford07/26 at 07:33AMJim V., I knew someone w

Hi Mike: You're right and wrong. The actural type of maintenance and the time required are definitely different. You can get into the water faster than I - no argument. I don't get gel blisters and you don't get dryrot. My AC's belly is wet and I bet your boat is dry in the bilge. I don't say everyone should get a wooden boat. That would be irresponsible. The type of boat and age are also a major factors. My 1972 glass thistle needs a lot of seat repair from time to time (racing loosens them up). My glass C-Scow (1970-Melgas) needed the core replaced in it which was a major pain in the neck. If you don't have time to work on a wood boat you are much better off sailing time-wise to have glass. I am fortunate to have the time and get enjoyment out of it. I can always work it in between working on my clients glass boats (smirk). Glass is a good medium for a production boat. One offs are usually strip planked these days due to economics. If you are going to pump out 50 boats glass wins hands down. Major investment however. Have a great one!

 

[Barry C]

Why are those boards doing that?*yks

Our first two boats were wood. The first was a rowboat so that doesn't count. The 2nd was a 18' runabout. One day while cruising Brigantine Bay one of my passengers asked "Why are those boards doing that?" The hull slats were just popping off the keel one by one. We turn about and headed for marina planing all the way. Went running up to doc master telling him he had to pull my boat ASAP. He looked behind me and said "what boat?". That afternood I bought my first fiberglass boat. I get enough of the wood beauty from my teak trim.

 

[Rag Waver]

I forgot to mention

that I also own and maintain a 1976 O'Day DaySailer 2. She's the first fiberglass craft I've ever owned, and she's a very nice little boat. I sail and camp-cruise in her while my larger wooden vessel is "on the railway". I'm not biased about wood vs 'glass, each type has it's merits. I've found, though, that even fiberglass and stainless steel has its share of maintenance chores. All boats are "holes where you throw your time and money", but I can't imagine life without them. BTW... has anyone here ever owned or considered a ferro-cement boat? Just curious.

 

[larry w]

For Cheryl and Windmills

I used to trailer my Windy to Newport Beach, launch in the Back Bay, and sail all over the bay. I especially liked to head straight at moored/docked gold-platers on a screaming plane and wait for the owner to turn purple waving me off, then casually put the tiller over and spin the boat away, off on the opposite tack. That little boat was great fun!

 

[Allan Pursnell]

Wood is beatiful but

I love wooden boats, look at them all the time. But particularly in the southern climate I live in, wood is just way too impractical. Not that I have not been tempted. Even with a plastic boat I like a rich teak interior. If I was retired, or wanted to shell out the money for an almost full time person to keep the boat up, it would be doable. Another thing, is that late model boats are so much more efficient in the use of space, that you get more usable room below and in the cockpit of a late model boat like a Hunter or Catalina.

 

[r.w.landau]

I like the low maintenence of fiberglass

and all my wood gets Penofin. If you are thinking about buying the stuff, call them to make sure you a making the right choice. The marine is dead clear. I Have teak, mohogany, and Epi on my boat so I chose the exotic wood formula. I found this stuff because I am a contractor. I was looking for something to put on EPI decks that would bring back color and last. This stuff brought the color back to two of my main customers decks. The decks look great. I applied this stuff a couple months ago. Everything else I have used is an annual maintenence problem.r.w.landau

 

[MArk15097]

Only if I could get Matthew to build mine

This guy is putting his heart and soul into his Jarcat. See construction pictures and description here:http://members.optusnet.com.au/~ingle.m/index1.html( YOU NEED TO ADD A DOT BETWEEN "com" AND "au" BECAUSE THIS SITE DOESN'T SUPPORT THIS ADDRESS FOR SOME REASON. THE EFFORT WILL BE REWARDED! )Happy sails *_/),MArk

 

[ex-admin]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending July 30, 2006:I think that wood boats...55% Are amazingly beautiful31% Are too hard to maintain13% Are a lost art form02% Are less attractive than newer designs1,229 owners responding