Wood for Boat Building
A Continuing Discussion
From Glen-L Marine Newsletter
A frequent question we hear: “I can't get mahogany, white oak or spruce as recommended in your plans; can I use poplar?”
Answer: Boats have successfully been built using all sorts of woods that are not recommended for boat building. But when we’re asked to recommend a wood or alternative wood, we pick from a standard list. In our plans, we don't generally list long-leaf yellow pine as an option, because it's not available here in our part of the country. In fact, it’s a good option and frequently used as an alternative to white oak.
Like Douglas-fir, there are caveats about yellow pine. Both woods, in the areas where they are common, are used for home construction. Construction grades are not acceptable for boat construction, both from a quality standpoint and because they are not properly dried. Yellow pine is also a generic term which encompasses a variety of woods. The experts recommend “long-leaf” and some specify “old growth.” “Straight grain” is specified for many types of wood, particularly Douglas-fir, because it is dimensionally more stable and has better strength characteristics.
Before the 20th century, when wooden boatbuilding (like many crafts) was an art, boat builders would take great care in selecting their lumber. Today, in a world of consolidation of suppliers and rushed life styles, many home boat builders contact us to ask if they can use woods that really aren't suitable for the wet environment in which boats spend much of their life. In many cases, the caller went to their local building supply store and found that specialty woods were not available. The woods may have been available in lumberyards or from local specialty suppliers, but they had not taken the time to look. Thus the question “Can I use red oak instead of white oak?” Red oak is not as rot resistant as white oak and is not recommended... but can it be used? As Allyn (our retired shop foreman) was fond of saying, “It ain't my boat.” We can give recommendations, but it is up to the builder to decide what to use.
A Glen-L Duck Boat
Which non-marine woods could be substituted depends on how the boat will be used. You always want wood that is properly dried, free of knots or other structural defects, but what if this is a duck boat you keep in the garage and only take out a couple of weeks a year? If it is well painted, do you really have to worry about rot? Probably not. Clear red oak would be an option, albeit heavy, for a boat you might have to carry any distance. Western pines tend to be relatively weak and prone to rot. If you are building a small rowboat that you use as a coffee table, pine would be fine. If it's kept inside and only taken out occasionally... how about used frequently, but stored dry in a garage.., how about stored under a cover in the back yard? When you build a boat and you know how it is built and what its limitations are, then you will presumably treat it accordingly. But if you give it to someone else who hasn't decided in advance the limitations he would accept, your pine boat may be very short-lived.
We have a section in our website, "Wood & Plywood" pages in which we have reproduced Chapter 5 from our book Boatbuilding with Plywood. This chapter discusses woods used in boat building. We continue to add additional features to this section concerning various types of wood that we have been asked about, listing information to help a potential boat builder decide what wood to use. •SCA•
I would take issue with the advice to not use construction grade lumber. I have often found clear 2x12 and 2x10 sticks of Southern Yellow Pine that are downgraded because of wane (bark on the corners or edges) which is easily trimmed. A flat sawn 2x10 can yield a batch of quarter sawn 1x2's. I have built several boats with SYP construction plywood and they have lasted a long time when taken care of. The stuff can be quite strong if you carefully pick your pieces, which the big box stores allow to some extent. Plywood of the same grade varies a lot from one bundle to the next.
As a 35 year experienced carpenter, as well as a boatbuilder, I have seen a decline in quality and availability of lumber for sure. And as an advocate for sustainability, this makes sense. The clear, vertical grain redwood, cedar, pine, spruce etc etc was all coming from Old Growth trees that were clearcut harvested. If you've ever been to an old growth forest and seen the beauty and majesty of these trees, you will understand that cutting down 600 yr old trees to build houses and boats that last maybe 50 years is not a sustainable or appropriate use. So it's past time for boatbuilders to move on from the Old Growth, clear vertical gain woods, and start to embrace and work with alternative materials. There is a lot out there, especially in engineered lumber that uses 3'd and 4th gen wood that is harvested and replanted.
This is just the way it is. Lamenting the lack of these beautiful woods is looking to the past. If you believe in the future, time to look for better choices. IMHO.....