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Few topics are as controversial among sailors as the quality of the boats we invest in to help realise our dreams of a life afloat.

Obviously, choosing a boat ranks as one of the key decisions for any sailor: a choice that proves to have been a poor one can have serious and far-reaching consequences � and is by no means straightforward or inexpensive to rectify. Take on too boat building wood suppliers uk future of a financial burden, leave yourself too much to learn or trust too much to your own handiwork and you could end up in trouble, especially if the press-ganged family, left at the mercy of your orders from the bridge, also has to live with your misjudgements as immortalised in composite, aluminium or steel.

A wise choice right at the beginning can make all the difference in the world to the fun to be had under sail, so it seems astonishing that so many of the issues involved are so seldom properly discussed.

The issues involved are more complex: expect rough seas ahead! It is quite extraordinary that these matters receive so little consideration in the sailing press, although the fact that our press has become, willingly or unwillingly, so dependent on its advertisers might perhaps have something to do with it. Our would-be critics have simply washed their hands of the whole notion of quality, with any criticism limited to fairly trivial points such as headroom, berth length and interior furnishing.

The fundamental properties of a product as a seagoing vessel are seldom even considered, let alone subjected to a rigorous comparative investigation.

The transformation of boat building from a craft into an industrial process and, in particular, the implications of this change in terms of the quality and price of the product seem to me to be fundamental issues for our sport and yet they are hardly eating up the column inches. Nothing sets the opinions flying like an open debate on then versus now, but there are a number of distinct aspects to consider if we are to do the subject justice:.

Clearly sailing could never have become widely accessible as a sport without the introduction of mass production in GRP. The smaller the boat, the bigger the potential boat building wood suppliers uk future open to it and hence the more units to be sold. Optimists and Lasers have been churned out in their millions, or least hundreds of thousands, and while yachts have never shifted in these numbers, their extra features � everything from heads to an engine � make them much more interesting in terms of the value to be extracted per unit.

When yacht production first began to move onto something approaching an industrial scale, the small number of manufacturers offering boats at shows in Europe could have sold dozens of each model every time they exhibited.

The Seventies and Eighties were gold rush time as sailors beat a path to the boatyard gates and demand soared. Brian Meerlow and his team in England built thousands of their Leisure yachts, for example, back when nobody worried about breathing in styrene vapour and extractors Boat Building Wood Suppliers Uk Quarter were unheard of. Coincidentally it was to Brian that the founder of my company, John Adam, turned in in his search for something small and seaworthy to win him some respite from excessive strife on the domestic.

Armed with a Leisure 17, he headed West and eventually found boat building wood suppliers uk future on the boat building wood suppliers uk future in Cuba having fallen asleep and run aground. The brand retains a special aura to this day, with over Leisures sold and almost all of them still in existence.

But I digress�. The number of people eager to get afloat was simply too high for traditional production methods and craftsmanship to cope.

Consumers were no more patient then than they are now: once they felt the itch, they wanted deck beneath their feet and pronto. When it comes to impatience, children on Christmas Eve have nothing on grown men and women waiting for boat building wood suppliers uk future new boat to arrive.

The transformation in the nature of boat building precipitated by these pressures was dramatic. The process was � almost literally � turned upside down or inside out, depending on your point of view and ever since, boats have been built the wrong way around: today everything starts with the skin and not the bones.

Henry Ford started exploring the possibilities of assembly boat building wood suppliers uk future production a boat building wood suppliers uk future ago, but it would be another 60 years before boat builders first sat up and took notice.

All of which took some time�. A finished hull of this nature came ready to sail; there was no need for extra interior structures or fittings to help spread and absorb the working loads. To keep the weight down, racing yachts often started life with nothing below but pipe berths and were only fully furnished at a later date if and when racing gave way to luxury cruising.

Whether to hit the race course with a crack crew or embark family and friends and concentrate on seeing and being seen was a matter for the owner: the yachts were tough enough for both lives � in boat building wood suppliers uk future they still are. In those days the cost of the hull made up an eye-watering proportion of the overall price of the boat.

Boat builders were craftsmen, not magicians, and bending wood takes time although of course man hours were not at all expensive in that era. Rationalizing hull construction was the logical way to go � and it is here that the rot set in! Once a female mould had been engineered, ready-made boat shells could be turned out one after the other like so many bread rolls in a process that suddenly no longer needed the expertise of skilled boat builders.

It is characteristic of the modern classics that although they have a GRP hull, they were still fitted out by craftspeople, that is to say skilled boat builders still had a hand � and earned a crust � in their production. Also no boat building wood suppliers uk future is the fact that older GRP boats tend to be considerably more solid, because stringers, boat building wood suppliers uk future and wooden interior components are all laminated into the hull.

Boat building wood suppliers uk future resulting structure is very stable, especially since the stringers and bearers are bonded face-on and the interior components edge-on. Take my Hanseat boats, of which I have had three, for example. They were always perfectly quiet to sail even in a good breeze and the deck never creaked even when the summer hoards stampeded across on their way from the far end of the raft to the bar.

In those days sailing boats were still seen and not heard. Modern classics enjoy great popularity today because of the way they combine the beautiful lines and traditional craftsmanship of old with modern materials. And, at a more basic level, because of the way they allow families � even those members with a more sensitive nose � to take to the sea without the damp reek of stale air and musty socks that tends to pervade the more traditional of traditional craft.

There is more to boat building than right angles; indeed their very curvaceousness accounts for a big part Boat Building Wood Suppliers Uk 00 of the appeal of those striking little ships whose lines alone set hearts pounding and bank accounts quaking.

On a more practical level, it also makes sure that no matter how soundly you slept, you quickly remember that you are on the boat and boat building wood suppliers uk future in the house.

Rights angles really were an unusual sight in this era, which for me explains much of its charm and elegance. The visual language of traditional design was emotional: function followed form and not vice versa. Today the mainstream boat building wood suppliers uk future to the beat of a different boat building wood suppliers uk future, with aesthetic concept and product shaped by marketing diktats and design vocabulary serving only to ensure brand recognition and distinctiveness.

The boats of the past were undoubtedly more robust. They had a backbone and ribs, meaning they were better armed against ramming, stranding, grounding and other extreme encounters, and carried their rudder firmly mounted and safely tucked away in the sweet spot at the trailing edge of the keel. Modern yacht design specifies no such backbone.

It has been spirited away to be replaced, here and there, with other structural members in much the same way that many car manufacturers boat building wood suppliers uk future done boat building wood suppliers uk future with any distinct chassis to leave each individual component apparently supported only by the parts around it.

Interior shells and moulded parts have increasingly driven traditional boat building out of interior construction too on the basis that separate units and components can be mass-produced rapidly and installed inside a bare hull equally quickly.

Boats today are built in a modular fashion, which simplifies customizing and cuts costs. Moulded components can also incorporate rounded edges and corners at no extra cost to suggest at least a token element of design flair.

This video clip of a guided tour of a well-known yard illustrates the modern process. The commentary is in German, but the images really speak for themselves. The most extreme designs include additional metal structures to distribute the loads. Some would have us believe that modern boats are more solid than ever, but can we really believe that?

Space has become a more compelling argument and the obvious response has been to do away with the traditional foundation of a strong hull � its frame and ribs � without putting anything obvious in its place. Sailors flock to the resulting space ous ships like moths to a candle, for it seems the number of berths has become the measure of all things and has a not insignificant effect on the price. And who ever stops to consider how this wonder came boat building wood suppliers uk future pass?

Who seriously spends any time thinking about how much � boat building wood suppliers uk future any � effective load-bearing structure there is behind that smart interior shell? Did that strike a chord with anyone else? It is no secret that mast, rigging, sails, engine, keel and rudder pull and push the boat in different directions and that hydraulic boat building wood suppliers uk future can put a bend in the hull as well as the mast.

Only a stiff hull can endure such loads in the long term; once flexing sets in, serious problems are sure to follow. Signs of fatigue on the hull, keel and rudder, soon our constant companions, auger well for the repair and restoration business.

Everyone understands that the half-life of a new stripped-out racing machine is short, that at some none-too-distant point in boat building wood suppliers uk future future that once proud and resolute bow will begin to acquiesce a little as the sea builds.

Life is boat building wood suppliers uk future compromise � and when it comes to rig tension, it can be a fine line between just right and ever so slightly too. We should also note that thanks to cheap materials and labour � and the fact that in those days nobody realised just how thin they could go � laminated hulls on older boats and those built in the Far East are often extremely.

The greatest secret in the increasing industrialization of modern boat building is probably the sharp reduction in production times and concomitant increase in value added. Or, to put boat building wood suppliers uk future another way, why do international investors and the pin-striped locusts suddenly have yacht manufacturers in their sights?

I know of one sailor boat building wood suppliers uk future, out of love for his wife and in preparation for the big retirement cruise, decided to swap his dark cavern of a steel yacht for a new � and much brighter � alternative. Keen to be, as it were, in the boat building wood suppliers uk future room to witness the arrival of his new home from home, he cheerfully turned up one Monday morning at the yard appointed to realise his dreams expecting to witness the final stages of fitting.

What he saw instead was a bare hull that, like him, had only just come into the building. He was astonished � and never more so than when the finished boat was handed over right on time just a few days later.

Neither I, nor the owner and his wife sitting at home in Bavaria with their sea bags packed and poised, could believe everything would be ready on schedule. But it was � no sweat! I always seem to end up comparing money invested in yachts with money spent on property albeit houses too have their weaknesses with the wind on the nose.

A production GRP yacht costing a similar amount takes a fraction of the time to create � and is then very often compared in price terms to boats whose construction involves a much larger element of craftsmanship. Obviously, one-offs assembled by craftspeople are going to consume more money in the shed. It may be interesting � perhaps shocking � to reflect a little on the hours of work that go into producing a finished yacht.

The conclusions in terms of the inherent boat building wood suppliers uk future of any given boat soon become perfectly clear: you do indeed get what you pay for in more ways than one. It can also be interesting to look at the second-hand market and see how perceptions of quality and value change once long-term use has had a chance to expose weaknesses not apparent on the boat show floor.

We are honoured almost every week with the launch of some or other new boat, just about all of them production GRP designs. This speaks of serious rationalization on a scale unknown � perhaps even inconceivable � to ordinary sailors. In fact producers have found ways to rationalize their business in all kinds of areas:. That such rapid changes of model are even possible is, without exception, down to the enormous rationalization and acceleration of all processes.

Even small production runs can be profitable. Nevertheless even the biggest yards with global marketing and a lively charter supply business still achieve only modest output when compared with the producers of other high-priced goods, which probably explains the breathless pace of competition: production yachts have to be introduced, promoted and phased out again faster than cars just to keep up the pressure on the other big players in the market.

A design lasts just a few hundred units before the focus moves on and the next contender sets sail. In a saturated market, however, there is only limited scope to keep sales volumes rising. We do not yet have a scrappage programme for old yachts! Building a metal yacht remains a time-consuming business and the preserve mainly of one-offs.

A high-quality foot custom boat in aluminium might take around hours to build; a GRP equivalent of the same size would almost certainly be ready to hit the water in a fraction of this time. The GRP version would surely be significantly cheaper too, so it wins hands down � unless, perhaps, boat building wood suppliers uk future factors like seaworthiness, safety, reliability, suitability for bluewater sailing, performance in use, value-holding ability and ease of resale also come into the equation.

But that is a discussion for another time. If the lively response to the first part of this blog on the German internet forums is anything to go by, this matter may be even more controversial than I suspected: the hornets nest has been stirred, sensitivities have been pricked and unsettled sailors are taking to their keyboards to explain and defend their views and decisions. I would say that one could write heavy books on the subject of these deliberations, but as it happens, most of these books � presenting a variety of perspectives � are already out.

My take on these complex issues is just that: my .

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I never found out how a engineer fixed a plywood to boat building wood suppliers uk future gunnels. Silt a moody rugdoes most to hoop. Auppliers "the aged days" the carpenter would novice upon a emporium of a single of most "greats" as well as after anticipating out as well as trafficas well as most varieties of hardwood.

So, why should you want to getting involved in the process of specifying that it comes from well managed forests? Wood can without a doubt be one the most environmentally friendly building material on earth but It can also be one of the worst. By choosing or even just asking for sustainably harvested timber will have a positive impact on the conservation and the good management of forests from which timber is being extracted.

This is fed by high demand for timber in Europe and in countries such as Japan, the United States and China. Unfortunately it would seem that even when illegally sourced timber is identified, it is not necessarily illegal to import it. The forests which once spread over half the earth now cover only a quarter of the planet's land surface. Not only is this destruction reducing the source of one of the best building materials but it is also having a dramatic effect on biodiversity generally.

Besides the many species that rely on the trees there are communities of humans who rely on their forests socially, economically and spiritually. However, if getting the lumber involves clearing forests without replacing them, then the overall impact can be a huge negative. The CO2 that was previously locked up in soils and foliage is released into the atmosphere as the total area of carbon-absorbing forest is reduced.

So, perhaps the greenest option is to use reclaimed salvaged wood, there is plenty to be had if you look for it. While it can be almost as expensive as new timber it is often be more attractive and will be well seasoned. By buying recycled timber you will help reduce deforestation and that carbon will remain locked in. Sustainability is one of those emotive buzz words which often obscure the complexities of the problem.

It is a mistake to think that, by using timber instead of certain other construction materials, enough is being done for the environment already. If forests are being destroyed as a result of its production, it can hardly be described as being environmentally friendly.

And it is very difficult to prove where lumber actually comes from because the supply chain from forest to end user is often very complicated. From what I as a lay-man can ascertain there is still no definitive method for measuring sustainability. However, as far as I can see timber, which is selectively felled allowing room and light to get to surrounding trees and milled on small portable mills close to where they fall has to minimize damage to surrounding vegetation.

And when then carried out by hand or on small vehicles on smaller roads will cause much less disturbance to the rest of the forest than the operations which clear and fell acres and acres of forest, use skidders and loaders and large trucks which then travel on large and invasive roads to the mills.

The US Forestry Service provides a free internet resource detailing a vast amount of their research into wood and fiber utilization, the conservation and productivity of forests and their contribution to the economy, and quality of life.

It is in this tradition that we continue to design and build, integrating the best aspects of both classic and modern materials. In our commitment to continuing the traditions and skills of classic boat building we take on apprentices, provide training and collaborate with a wide range of highly skilled local craftspeople. Please contact us if you are interested in working together. Ben has been working with wood throughout the UK since the age of After starting as assistant to a cabinet maker; he then developed his skills in furniture making, and his passion for wood and forestry by working in broadleaf woodlands.

Later he he tuned his skills in bespoke Oak-framed Boat Building Wood Suppliers Korea carpentry and went on to establish a sawmill and oak framing business in Scotland, sourcing timber from the local estates. In Ben moved to Cornwall to study and train in boatbuilding. He has been building boats and sailing ever since. Email Address. Traditional Wooden Boat Building. My own boat was built in the late 90s, much of it with RF, with my approval.

It copes with high temperatures very well you can boil it, remember and it has good UV resistance � ideal for the Med. Several manufacturers produce this performance-proven adhesive for fully- exterior and below-waterline professional yacht construction, but Humbrol Extraphen seems to have monopolised the DIY end of the market.

Dynea UK, manufacturer of Prefere formerly Aerodux , tells me that it is also now developing the consumer end of the market through its distributors, Alansons Industrial Supplies. Two aspects of this adhesive have kept it firmly in the professional domain � and one of these is set to change. Historically, the mixing of resin and hardener has been done on a weight basis, a feature that turns amateur users away in droves.

So it could become more useful to us in the future. Amateurs can use it, so long as they make a proper tight joint with good contact. Another slight disadvantage with RF might be its dark brown colour. Splashes and joint oozing need to be cleaned up quickly with water but the dark glue line remains when it has cured � it can be sanded off though.

With light wood species this might present a problem. Indeed, some of the literature claims that the cure comes to a standstill. Joints made with it are highly resistant to weather, micro-organisms, cold, steam and dry heat. The adhesive is water soluble until cured, so water is fine for cleaning up overspill. It is supplied as a liquid resin with either liquid or powder hardener.

Polyurethane mastic Mastic PU adhesives like Sikaflex and Soudaflex have exceptional strength and good gap-filling properties, but are expensive � though they are coming down in price. They appear to make no claim to compliance with BS EN and this may be because they are not specifically wood adhesives.

They are, however, highly resistant to UV, water and high temperatures. I have heard that they have been used to bond steel decks to steel hulls � without additional fixing.

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