Creating a Wooden Craft
When I’ve mentioned my intent to add wooden boats to the BE-Nautical Fleet, I’m often asked, “Why?” It may be followed by, “I thought wood went away a long time ago” or“Don’t wooden boats require a lot of maintenance?”
Answer to all these questions is “kind of...”
First the why wooden boats - my answer is often a little more in-depth and varies. I’ll try and organize my response in different buckets.
Ecological
Wood is a renewable resource. The end of life consideration for wood is not the same as a fiberglass boat, like plastic, has disposal and end of life issues. As fiberglass and plastic degrade they leave micro-plastics in our water streams.
Emotional
For those of us that love trees appreciate they were once a thriving, living, being. The mind, soul and body, and spirit of a tree, for me, has a strong attachment. A boat made from a tree, once a living thing, is in a way, giving it a second life. Water nourished and sustained the tree through life, returning to the water is an opportunity for the tree to thrive again — a second life that it wouldn’t have had if it were still alive. Add the fact that humans that build these boats have a passion for their craft. The passion, care and soul that goes into making a wooden boat is felt.
Experiential
A wooden boat has a different feel than a fiberglass boat, offering a new experience for those students who appreciate the craft of sail — a craft to be explored and attempted to master. For one, wooden boats move through the water more quietly than fiberglass or steel hulled boats. They shift and adjust ever so slightly as they move through the water, which harkens the phrase “shiver me timbers”. Another, I’m exposing students to a different rig style — gaff in one of my boats. This sort of rig offers several advantages to the standard Marconi rig and further exposes students interested in expanding their sailing and educational horizons.
Practical
As a professional sailing school, dedicated to the continuum of experience and education, offering wooden boats further enriches students' experience and adventure on the water. Compared to a fiberglass boat, pound for pound, a wooden boat is actually stronger. Although any boat requires attention and annual maintenance, wooden boats may require a bit more care; however, that care includes a love and passion to a once living thing.
Now that I’ve helped you understand the why, I’ll begin to transition to the how. How a wooden boat is built, starting with selection of various types of wood, which varies depending on where she’ll sail, and how she'll be used — fresh water boats require different considerations than one destined for salt water.
It will be a fun journey of learning and appreciation. Welcome aboard!