Modern boatbuilding materials

    The introduction of fiberglass after W.W.II revolutionized the boatbuilding industry, allowing mass production techniques to be used. Using various fabrics made of glass fibers that were bound together with a two-part liquid binder (resin), hulls could be constructed quickly and cheaply. No longer did boats have to be constructed by skilled craftsman. Many shapes that would have been difficult if not impossible to build in wood, such as the Boston Whaler, became easy to mass-produce. After the original mold was built, defining the shape of the hull, a relatively unskilled labor force could do the actual lay-up of the hull. Boats became more affordable and a new generation of sailors and boat owners took to the water. As fiberglass boats increased in popularity, the art and craft of wooden boatbuilding went into serious decline. Fortunately two modern materials made wooden boatbuilding practical once again.

    The first of these materials was marine plywood, used during W.W.II to build patrol boats. Plywood is made from several thin layers of wood (veneers), bonded together with waterproof glue. Early plywood soon developed a bad reputation, caused by erratic quality and designers that didn't understand the materials limitations. With the introduction to the U.S. of high quality, specialty marine plywood from Europe such as Okoume, plywood's strength and light weight have made it popular again with professional and amateur boatbuilders.

    The second material that re-vitalized wooden boatbuilding was epoxy resin. The work of the Gougeon Brothers in the 1970's using epoxy as both an adhesive and a coating made wooden boats much stronger and more durable. With a variety of fillers and additives, and by manipulating the chemical properties of the resin and hardener, an epoxy mixture can be modified for strength, workability, and curing time. As a sealer coating, epoxy can completely surround, or "encapsulate", the various wooden parts of a boat to exclude the two things required for rot to form; moisture and air.

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