Wooden Boat Revival: Can Boatbuilding Be Regenerative?

Even if you don't have a wooden boat, you likely have some wood features aboard in the cabin and cockpit. Learn about the pros and cons of different types of plywood and hardwoods and their environmental impact.

Angie Richard

December 16, 2024

This Feinspiel Vendia boat is made from their proprietary Nordic pine plywood planks. The planks are made from sliced veneer so it looks like solid wood, but is actually ply. (Photo courtesy of Vendia) — This Feinspiel Vendia boat is made from their proprietary Nordic pine plywood planks. The planks are made from sliced veneer so it looks like solid wood, but is actually ply. Their pine marine planks have the following specs: Face veneers are made of knot-free pine and core veneers of pine. For example, a 9 mm plank consists of five lengthwise and two crosswise veneers. Core veneer thickness: 1.2 mm, face veneer thickness: 1.5 mm.(Photo courtesy of Vendia)

The dawn of the fiberglass era transformed the boatbuilding industry, making sailing more accessible and affordable. With fiberglass’s strength, low maintenance and adaptability, boat ownership soared as boats were mass-produced and “popped” out of molds. However, the ecological consequences of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) are now impossible to ignore. The growing problem of end-of-life GRP boats—derelict vessels abandoned in marinas and littering coastlines—poses significant threats to marine ecosystems and, increasingly, to human health.