"Frogwatch" wrote in message
...
On Jul 1, 1:42 pm, HK wrote:
Zombie of Woodstock wrote:
On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:09:24 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:

I'd like to see a true high tech wood composite. Maybe bamboo
alternating with carbon fiber/ epoxy and then bamboo running at right
angles to the first. This would be lighter and stronger than marine
ply. On the outsides it would be skinned with a lighter glass than we
use for boats now like my Tolman.

It's called cold molding.

http://www.cwb.org/cold-molded-boat-building-2009

Been around for years.

Building a cold-moulded wood boat requires...well...the sort of skill
that comes from experience. But it does produce beautiful boats.

All glass boats are too heavy requiring too much fuel. Aluminum boats
are good but welding them right requires more skill than most boat
companies can afford and they are difficult to repair.
Above the waterline, foam/glass is ok but below the water, no.
Loogy, I am not a ME but a physics geek. Carbon fiber is currently
expensive and if such a boat was struck by lightning, the result would
be bizarre.

There are composites used in boat building. Davis Boats in Paso Robles has
composite transom, no wood. Triton I think is a wood free boat. Aluminim
boats just cost lots to get the equipment to built them. The really good
welders are in the $13-15K range for a good tig welder. Miller syncrowave
700, etc. then you need a good Mig welder with spoolgun that can handle
3/16-1/2" aluminum. Probably in the $5-8k range. You can buy the lofting
patterns for aluminum boats and then have a supplier cut the aluminum to
shape. And press the parts that need shaping. Lots of nice aluminum
homebuild boats. Repair is not anyworse than fiberglass. And the boat will
take a lot more to damage. Other problem, is only Tracker seems to have
formed alum boats that have nice rounded lines. So aluminum boats can run a
little wetter and less Vee in most smaller boats.