Introduction to Amatuer Wooden Boat Building.

The rebirth in interest in 'classic wooden boat building' in Australia, is in no small part due to the efforts of the Wooden Boat Associations linked to this website. Prospective amatuer wooden boat builders should consider joining the Wooden Boat Association to surround themselves with other like minded boat enthusiasts and builders, and share knowledge, tips and techniques.

Wooden boat building is one of the oldest forms of engineering, that allowed man to create everything from small canoes and dinghies to massive ships, all aimed at conquering the oceans of the world.

Historically, wooden boat building was extremely popular mainly due to the low cost and easy availability of wood, a material that was easy to work with, light enough to float and naturally waterproof. Over the years, amateur boat builders have returned to wooden boat building to learn the basics of the art. Wooden boat building has been one of the most incredible forms of engineering that has endured for centuries despite the onset of modern technology.

With the growth of modern technology, the hull of the boat has another added ingredient in the form of an epoxy coating or saturation that allows the water resistance levels to rise as well as keep out marine and fresh water organisms that add to the deterioration of the hull.

Wooden boat building involves some serious engineering principles, especially when building boats with curved hulls or wooden planks. There are several different methods of constructing the hull of the boat and each of these techniques requires a special kind of expertise in that particular field.