Classic Wooden Boat features the history of many of Australia's most famous wooden boatbuilders.

Many of the boat yards are no longer in operation yet their legacy of traditional wooden plank on frame (carvel) boat construction lives on.

Classic wooden boats are very special because each boat is unique, the design, the wood, the curve of the hull... it’s impossible to replicate a timber boat exactly.

As a consequence of this construction method allowing every part of the boat to be repaired or replaced, each boat remains an original, a living thing that can be repaired and rebirthed many, many times throughout it's long life.

In our discussions with Wooden boatbuilders, it is not uncommon for classic wooden boats to have had documented works carried out by up to a dozen shipwrights or boatbuilders over the long life of the boat in question. 

Marloo, the world's first H28, was built plank on frame wooden construction in Australia.

Well maintained wooden boats have... and will continue to outlive almost every other type of boat due to this unique feature of their construction. For this tradition to continue we must preserve the historical records of these famous and often pioneer boat builders, so that future generations of wooden boat lovers will have a link to our rich boat building history in Australia.

Record your wooden boatbuilding story on Classic Wooden Boat. 

Current day wooden boatbuilders are also welcome to contact us for featuring on this site, as we are constantly contacted for information on the most suitable yard for a rebuild or repair of classic wooden boats.

We welcome contributions on Australian wooden boat builders past and present, and on any vessels that may be of public interest for feature on this website.