"stealth" wrote in message
...
With today's technology and available materials, why do boat builders
still
use wood in the construction of their boats? From a layman's point of
view,
it seems ludicrous to do so given that wood rots when exposed to water.


There are several reasons, and various arguments for and against them.

Consider the wood used in four different applications:

Structural: provides the basic strength of the hull, includes stringers,
ribs, beams, etc.

Fill: The interior of the deck, transom, sides, and bottom.

Backing: wood is commonly epoxied onto the back of the fiberglass so that
windows, deck plates, etc. can be fastened down with wood screws.

Appearance: usually teak, mahogany, etc. used in places it looks nice.


If it wasn't for the rotting issue, wood would be an ideal material. It is
flexible, relatively light weight and easy to work with. If you decide you
need to mount something at spot "A" you simply drill a hole there, apply
some sealer and mount your something with a wood screw.

The Flexibility of wood is a major issue for structural members. You can
take a boat with wood stringers and give it quite a beating without any
significant degradation. Replace those stringers with metal and you could
have all sorts of problems. Metal fatigue can lead to stress cracks and
complete failure. The fiberglass, which is flexible, may start to tear when
it is beat against the far less flexible beams.

For large areas, such as transoms, it is hard to beat the strength to weight
ratio of wood. Again, flexibility is a desired feature. You can't use a
material that might fracture.

There are boats being made that don't use any wood at all. Only time will
tell if they consistently provide more years of service or not.

Rod McInnis