Carnal sin? fiberglassing a wooden boat. discussion in 'wooden boat building and restoration' started by smartbomb, nov 4, i could get a newer fiberglass boat but i really like the classic lines and frankly i hate the aesthetic of the new boats. i don't want to drive a floating ford taurus! it has new scantlings and will no longer be a. I begin teaching myself how to place fiberglass into the boat using various techniques, which will be slightly different when i glass the outside hull of the wooden boat, making her water proof.. There is no denying that fiberglass can withstand a shocking amount of neglect. but if you want to keep your fiberglass boat looking it’s best, it will cost you. if you take two equivalent boats, one fiberglass and one of traditional wood construction, both the same age, both with an equal amount of brightwork, and both kept in true yacht.
On an old boat the wood in the boat is wet. because of the damp, rot has probably infected the wood even though the boat looks sound and is seaworthy. sealing the wood then traps the moisture and the rot spores. the boat then rots from the inside and the rot is generally not evident until you are left with a fiberglass shell and no structural. I have always preferred a wooden boat to a fibreglass one but you have to work out if you can afford the time to upkeep the wood, with a wooden clinker boat or a carvel one you really need to burn off the paint right down to the bare timber every season or two, i did it every year.. Boats constructed fully of fiberglass could be produced for a third of the cost of their wooden counterparts. of course, a lower production cost wouldn't mean much if no one wanted to buy the finished product..
