The use of glues and resins is indispensable in modern wooden and plywood boat construction. Ahead of self-building a 41-ft. Wharram Designs Narai Mk IV wooden catamaran, my husband Remy and I—amateur sailors and first-time boat builders with a desire to tread lightly on the environment—wanted to dive into the sticky business of glues and resins.
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Why is Practical Sailing hosting this content? It is written by an amateur builder non-sailor who by their own admission does not know what they are talking about. While the academic research is impeccable, it is presenting solutions that are purely theoretical and seriously biased by the writer’s wants, needs and budget. I am especially concerned with your advocation of non-proven epoxy formulations in boat building; leave it with the surfboards and check back in 15-20 years. While a wharram cat may not be highly loaded, it is folly to envision using unproven epoxy on a blue water craft. The author is welcome to do anything they like, but Practical Sailor needs to be more responsible with what you are presenting to the public. Please. If I wanted crap, unvetted content I would watch youtube channels of sailing wannabes.
To the author: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. If you are truly concerned with your impact, find an old boat and fix it up; there are thousands to chose from. Don’t greenwash your choices as sustainable and good- just admit this is what you want to do and do it without justifying it to all of us. Or get a youtube channel like all the other sailing wannabes.
Agree 100% except I do like to hear about industry progress and new technology.
A surfboard which is in the water and sun for several hours at a time is not a sailboat weeks away from shore. Also, fiberglass and resin if not reused as the original boat can at least be ground up for concrete additives.
I’ll second/third the above. And what are the saw horses made of supporting the eco/green surfboards?
Interesting article, I have bought and used Climate Change epoxy. In my experimental use I found it to be an excellent product with good UV properties that other epoxies don’t have. The down sides are it is twice the price and the mixing ratio complex.
Now in this world the inescapable fact is economics govern everything including climate change and our reaction to it. People building wood epoxy yachts such as Wharrams are not wealthy high end boat builders, so fancy priced epoxy and materials such as flax and other natural fibers are not going to gain any traction in the wood epoxy market. As a yacht designer and boat builder I keep breast of these developments of materials but as they stand I could build a 40′ multihull from carbon fibre and regular epoxy cheaper than a wood epoxy one using Climate Change epoxy and flax cloth. Not only cheaper it would be lighter and thus use less materials so it could be argued it would have less environmental impact. Though it still would still not be economical for most Wharram builders.