Are wooden sailboats good?

Question

what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Answer 1

Wooden boat owners are obsessed with them.  Yes they are good, I prefer the plastic sort (read fiber glass, GRP, etc.).

Wooden boats are beautiful, and high maintenance, ergo "she" in boat language.  They will normally leak somewhat when introduced to water for a short while until the wood swells to seal at the joints, then leak very little.

I have been told that the boat should be "salted" on the inside to pickle the wood.  I do not know why on this, it may be a form of preserving to wood.

If you want more information on wooden boats, you may check out:

http://www.woodenboat.com/

or do a google search on wooden boats for more information than you ever wanted to know.

Happy sailing.

Answer 2

Other people's wooden sailboats are wonderful. But I personally would never want to own a wooden boat larger than a dingy, because with my work and family schedule I simply don't have time to properly maintain a wooden hull. If you do have time for it, they're wonderful boats.

Lightning can (and may) strike any sailboat, regardless of materials. But it makes sense to me that if two sailboats with the same sized mast were docked next to each other, an aluminum masted boat would be more likely to get struck by lightning than a wooden masted one.  

Answer 3

No.

Answer 4

Well wooden boats in general leak a little. In fact they like to have a few inches of water in the bilge to keep the wood swollen and sealed. Lightning can strike anywhere, wood metal you.- You just don't lean aginst it when in a storm. Wood is high maintiance. (did you rent "Captian Ron"the movie?) Once you get everything fixed, have a sandwich and do it all over again. Biggest hazard is rot. and in some climates worms. They do feel a little differant in the water under full sail. Hope you get more answers from the long term guys.

Answer 5

Wooden boats are good for wealthy people to own so they can pump money into the local economy by always having to hire someone to fix their rotting boat.

The bulk of the rest of the planet should go with anything but wood.

I've done tons of hull repairs on wooden boats, but maybe two on fiberglass boats. The glass boats were collision repairs, the wooden boats were mostly rot.

Lightning?

Life is risk.

Answer 6

Wooden boats have there own beauty> Luster> sailing>

But all cost>& there labor of love is high>& never ending>