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Wooden Boat Revival

If you don’t like someone, they say you should give them a boat. If you really don’t like them, they say you should give them a wooden boat.

By Jamie Smith
Despite the amount of work associated with this ancient way of building boats, there is an undisputed romance to setting sail in a boat made of nothing but bits of tree joined together. Indeed the wooden boat building industry is undergoing a renaissance with an increasing number of new traditionally built wooded boats hitting the water.
In Cornwall the effect can be seen at the yards of Cockwells at Falmouth, and Working Sail at Gweek, which have both been spending this year working on the build of substantial pilot cutters.
“A lot of our customers want to stand out from the crowd,” said Dave Cockwell, who is in the process of building the Bristol Channel pilot cutter Thunder at the Ponsharden yard and has already found a buyer in the form of Jenny and Simon Wilkins, who plan to charter her in Cornwall.
“Wooden boats appeal to people who want something that’s different and a little bit special. They tend to be people who appreciate the natural beauty and feel that a wooden boat provides. There’s that great smell that ‘everybody loves’ – it’s a smell that reminds me of being at home. When you come into the workshop it’s the first thing most people comment on, it’s natural and not like the chemicals you smell when you get on a new plastic boat. If you look at any modern marina, filled with very nice, quality plastic boats, people will still turn their head at a wooden boat.
“I think wooden boats have been badly represented in the past by old, rotten boats that aren’t a true representation of a boat that is someone’s pride and joy. All boats require maintenance; yes wooden boats require more maintenance than a plastic one. If you spend a thousand pounds on a wooden boat, you will get £1500 worth of enjoyment out of it.”
But this ancient method of construction has been largely over looked by generations of boat buyers faced with the supposed benefits of modern technologies such as fibreglass and metal. The fact that Cockwells dared to invest in building a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter in their yard without a buyer in place, shows an initial confidence (“it was a risk,” admits Dave) but the fact that they have found a buyer before completion also shows confidence in the market.
“When we took the pilot cutter to the boat show the overwhelming response was –‘Gosh, I didn’t realise you could still buy a boat like this’ and, consequently, we’ve had hundreds of inquiries, not all of them will lead to sales but I anticipate a lot of them will. I am sure that there is going to be a wooden boat revival. You will see more and more, better looking, wooden boats out on the water, you mark my words.”
At the Working Sail boatyard in Gweek, Luke Powell has just finished the 44’ pilot cutter Ezra, along the lines of her slightly larger sister ship Agnes.
With her newly varnished wood elegant lute stern and deep forefoot, it would be hard not to take a second look if you saw her in a marina. Commissioned by owners Same Booke and Ingrid Bruce, Ezra will be put to work in the waters around Oban, Scotland as part of the charter market. Sam said:” The beauty of Ezra is she represents the tradition of sailing. I have a history chartering with a plastic boat but wood is far more traditional boatbuilding material. We’re also keen on the eco-friendliness in out business and, for me the reason for going to sea are to keep things simple, and for that wood is without a doubt the way to go. This is a replica of a boat form the 19th century and there’s something lovely about a boat with a pedigree.
“There’s definitely also a feeling of romance about the wooden boat and, in the charter market there are lots of plastic boats available. We’ve taken a great deal of care to ensure that the boat feels as classical as possible, she does have electronic systems but where possible they are not on show. “
Luke, as he was busy preparing Ezra for sea said: ”I’ve definitely noticed a growth in the amount of people wanting to build them. There is more confidence but it’s such a niche market that if it doubled it would still only represent half a percent.

“We’ve been building wooden boats for 12 years not and I would agree that it was more difficult when we stated than it is now. People are starting to recognise a wooden boat as a sensible alternative. Wooden boats are great for keeping their integrity and their resale value. Who wants to buy a plastic boat that’s 20 years old? Not me!”