Designs Of Boats: Wood Vs. Metal...which Is Better And Does It Really Matter?

Are you wondering what the difference is between using wood, metal or perhaps even fiberglass when building your boat? Well, it's certainly a very legitimate question! Let's take a look, shall we?

In an era where more modern materials such as fiberglass and aluminum are in the spotlight, wood is still probably your best choice. It has several key advantages over the modern alternatives, which may come as a shock to you!

Wood for instance, has a much better resistance to direct force and stress. This is in reference to the stress and pressure boats experience from water on the hull. Testing proves that wood (with epoxy) is the strongest, followed by aluminum and then fiberglass.

Wood possesses better galvanic and thermal properties as well. Galvanization occurs when two different materials make contact with one another where one causes the other to corrode, as would happen with aluminum, for instance. Wood does not have this problem!

If aesthetics matter to you, then wood wins again! Wood gives you a rich visual experience. A feeling of warmth and natural beauty; which consequently you cannot get when using synthetic materials.

Wooden boats typically have a high cost of maintenance. This is only the case, however, if you don't protect the wood with an epoxy coating. When wood is protected with epoxy, it maintains its original form and practically doesn't age for decades. So, in this sense, when protected with epoxy, it costs no more to maintain a wooden boat as it would a fiberglass one.

In comparison to fiberglass, aluminum and even steel, wood (much to your surprise, perhaps) is stronger when looking at the strength to weight ratio. What does this mean you ask? Essentially wooden boats of the same size as these other boats have the lowest weight. It also means that in comparison to these other materials, the wooden boat is stronger.

Wood has the greatest strength per volume of weight, and because boat building materials must be light but strong, wood is then extremely desirable for this reason!

Does that mean you can't use those other materials? Not at all! Use whatever material makes you happy!

By: Mark R. Khalil

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Want to learn more about the boat building process? Feel free to visit my website at www.boatplansmadeeasy.com for more helpful tips and information on building a boat quickly, inexpensively and with professional results every single time! All my best, Mark R. Khalil