Re: fiberglass vs. wood ropelene is now cheaper than fiberglass, epoxy, or fibrglassed wood, and inflatable vinyl has to be cheapest imho, unless you want to cut down a treee, float on a log, and use a branch to paddle with.. Wood/epoxy, on the contrary, embraces the best of modern and traditional boat building. it is not strictly speaking a wooden boat. it uses space-age technology to create a cored laminate protected by perfectly waterproof envelope.. Wood boats are comfortably inviting, they insulate against heat, cold and noise, and they better absorb engine and other unwanted vibrations. the fiberglass boats are plain, almost sterile-looking. colored fiberglass fades rapidly, and over time, almost always needs to be painted..
Wood vs fiberglass. in any industry, there’s always a core difference in preferences of customers. in the fast food world, it’s macca’s vs hungry jacks, in the tech world, it’s android vs apple and in the world of boats, it’s usually wood vs fiberglass.. I personally like working with wood the best, having used fiberglass and wood on boats, and having used aluminum and steel for other projects (and concrete and steel in others). wood i think lends itself well to one-off construction, but is not well suited to production. i once did a comparison of materials for a homebuilt aircraft.. The wooden boat, if in great condition, should not be all that much more to keep it in top condition for someone with wooden boat experience. and for most couples, sanding and painting is the lady's job we live aboard in our "tacky fiberglass boat" with formica counter tops and teak paneling and we love it..
