A Wood Boat? Are you crazy?

[trawlercap]

58' William Garden built 1952.

“Beautiful boat… too bad it’s wood.”
“These wood boats cost a fortune to keep up.”
“I’d be afraid to own one.”
Five years ago, I became the caretaker of a 58-foot William Garden, built in 1952.
Here’s what I’ve learned.
A well designed, built and maintained wooden boat is not fragile. It’s not mysterious. And it’s not a constant crisis waiting to happen. And when it’s been properly cared for, it’s as confidence-inspiring as anything afloat.
Designed and built to cross oceans. With 3,200 gallons of fuel.
Systems are accessible. Structure is visible. Problems don’t hide behind liners and molded panels.
Wood isn’t the risk. Neglect is.
I've never driven a boat so smooth as this boat is underway. The weight, (61 tons) the hull shape, the way she moves through water, it always pleases.
But for the right owner, a classic wooden trawler can be one of the most rewarding boats you’ll ever own.
I have a few sayings I kept in my head over the years.
"Never tell a wood boat owner how much work a wood boat is"
"She takes a lot, and she gives a lot."
I'll file a thread in the for sale section.
Capt Jack

 

[Fish53]

I’ve owned two wooden boats, the feel of a wooden boat is delightful, especially a heavy built commercial boat. Maintenance and repair are more pleasant than working on frp or metal, the smell and feel of working on wood is not as onerous. That being said the maintenance and repair are more frequent and extensive and if you don’t have the skills yourself can be expensive. I live in Maine where wooden boats are very well understood and appreciated, but there aren’t that many around for a reason.

 

[Bob Cofer]

"Never tell a wood boat owner how much work a wood boat is"
"She takes a lot, and she gives a lot."
You can never convince a fiberglass boat owner how wonderful wooden boats can be. While enamored with my Willard I miss my past woodies.
JoAhna K is a prize.

 

[Don L]

I have seen a few 60-70s wooden model of boats I am interested that looked GREAT. They are less expensive that late 70s models fiberglass ones that look no where close to being as nice. My feeling is that wooden cruiser boats that still around in good condition and have been maintained have been LOVED way better that most.

 

[Fish53]

I have seen a few 60-70s wooden model of boats I am interested that looked GREAT. They are less expensive that late 70s models fiberglass ones that look no where close to being as nice. My feeling is that wooden cruiser boats that still around in good condition and have been maintained have been LOVED way better that most.

No doubt, where I am there’s plenty of gorgeous wooden boats, restored and new. Rockport Marine where I have my mooring builds beautiful world class wood boats. There’s even a few wood lobster boats still working around here. I have several friends with wood boats, I stop by in the boatyards during late spring to say hi while they’re sanding, scrapping, caulking, refastening, bunging and painting. Then I go down to the harbor and take my glass boat out for a cruise.

 

[trawlercap]

"Never tell a wood boat owner how much work a wood boat is"
"She takes a lot, and she gives a lot."
You can never convince a fiberglass boat owner how wonderful wooden boats can be. While enamored with my Willard I miss my past woodies.
JoAhna K is a prize.

I was looking at a 36' Willard when I came upon this boat. I believe the Willard is also a William Garden?

 

[trawlercap]

No doubt, where I am there’s plenty of gorgeous wooden boats, restored and new. Rockport Marine where I have my mooring builds beautiful world class wood boats. There’s even a few wood lobster boats still working around here. I have several friends with wood boats, I stop by in the boatyards during late spring to say hi while they’re sanding, scrapping, caulking, refastening, bunging and painting. Then I go down to the harbor and take my glass boat out for a cruise.

I noticed you have a deep water trawler as your avatar, are you a commercial fisherman? I'm a retired Bering Sea crabber/trawler.

 

[PierreR]

10 years younger and I would be all over it. Cedar over bent oak frames is damned near ideal build in a boat that size. That is a light build as far as the hull goes for it's strength. Those are high lignin species so careful attention to how much zinc you hang on her and where you hang it, would be important. I would wear protection to work on her, built in 1952, she has got to have a lot of lead. I would not be afraid of her.
I have forgotten more about wood boats than most people ever knew.
With a D/L ratio pushing 400 she has to be one beautiful ride at sea.
She would be a full time job to cruise and keep up with her.

I would not let an electronics installer anywhere near it without looking over their shoulders.

 

[psneeld]

I have mixed feelings about wooden boats. grew up with them but watched one by one sink because just even one plank with a bad set of fastenings spelled their doom.

I watched dozens of eastern rig commercial fishing boats disappear from the mid-Atlantic fleet during the 80s/90s. While that almost seems normal for commercial fishing boats, it was a much higher percentage than the average fishing vessel. True that maintenance was probably a factor, but these boats were inspected like many other commercial and recreational vessels that were deemed seaworthy, but just a few hidden fasteners told a different story.

The USCG almost regulated wooden boats out of some commercial services (one I think was carrying passengers) back in the late 90's because of a T-Boat tragedy.

I too love a good wooden boat, but without a proper way to ensure all fasteners are solid, all the time.... to me it's too much of a risk.

True..... any type hull material can be problematic, but none usually have a sudden loss of integrity like a wooden boat can. Thus my mixed feelings about them.

 

[Bmarler]

I grew up fishing southeast Alaska, and nothing felt as sea kindly as a wooden boat. So warm, so sturdy, so quiet. We put them on the grid every season, but if looked after regularly it was easily handled in two tides.

 

[psneeld]

I grew up fishing southeast Alaska, and nothing felt as sea kindly as a wooden boat. So warm, so sturdy, so quiet. We put them on the grid every season, but if looked after regularly it was easily handled in two tides.

While cold climes are more wooden boat friendly to a degree.... as wooden boats age, there are just too many stats and rescues/salvages out there that give the USCG and insurance companies a reason to require regular, significant pulling of fasteners.

This proves to be pretty expensive to ownership unless all DIY including haulouts and if not done, is poor risk management.

I agree wood vessels can be near unbelievable in beauty and utility, it's not so much that they are wood, it's how they are constructed, maintained and subjected to use.

 

[trawlercap]

10 years younger and I would be all over it. Cedar over bent oak frames is damned near ideal build in a boat that size. That is a light build as far as the hull goes for it's strength. Those are high lignin species so careful attention to how much zinc you hang on her and where you hang it, would be important. I would wear protection to work on her, built in 1952, she has got to have a lot of lead. I would not be afraid of her.
I have forgotten more about wood boats than most people ever knew.
With a D/L ratio pushing 400 she has to be one beautiful ride at sea.
She would be a full time job to cruise and keep up with her.

I would not let an electronics installer anywhere near it without looking over their shoulders.

Pierre, thanks yes it is the smoothest, quietest boat I’ve ever driven. Slips through the water with no fuss.
The planking is 2” x 5” VG Fir. With most planks 58’. Over zincing is a real thing. I have metered her once a year. She is ballasted with concrete. Back in 1952 they would put her in the water and add concrete until it came down on her lines. Old guys tell me wood never gets soft encased in concrete.
The $750k rebuild in 2002 sold me. It’s like a 20 year told boat systems wise.
Thanks for your comments, she’s a special boat.

 

[JDCAVE]

My shipwright who helped me with several projects was a specialist on wooden vessels. Watching him caulking was magical. His caulking tools were over 100 years old.

Jim

 

[trawlercap]

My shipwright who helped me with several projects was a specialist on wooden vessels. Watching him caulking was magical. His caulking tools were over 100 years old.

Jim

Yes it is, Port Townsend is the place in the PNW. With a DIY yard and anything a wood boat needs. All the shipwrights are booked out.

 

[JDCAVE]

This is the Belina. 85' Westcoast seine boat. Built 1952 and has been in the Benedet family since she was built, now operated by the grandson. I've known her intimately since 1984 when I first went out on her. We've contracted her since 1983, for the most part in Juan de Fuca, off Port San Juan on the Canadian side. Her she is closing the set. I'm on the power skiff.

 

[mvweebles]

I was looking at a 36' Willard when I came upon this boat. I believe the Willard is also a William Garden?

The Willard 36 was indeed designed by Wm Garden. It was originally designed in the 1950s as a 34 footer. When it was first built by Vega Marine (predecessor to Willard Marine), it was stretched two feet to 36-ft. 39 hulls we're struck between 1961 and 1970 when Weebles (ex Taras) was built (attached pic is her with the owner and Willard staff in 1970).

Peter

 

[trawlercap]

This is the Belina. 85' Westcoast seine boat. Built 1952 and has been in the Benedet family since she was built, now operated by the grandson. I've known her intimately since 1984 when I first went out on her. We've contracted her since 1983, for the most part in Juan de Fuca, off Port San Juan on the Canadian side. Her she is closing the set. I'm on the power skiff.

View attachment 172018View attachment 172019

What an amazing story. Drum seine boats can be longer than the 58’ limit seiner, I did not realize that. I’m retired fisherman and still learning! Great shots!

 

[trawlercap]

The Willard 36 was indeed designed by Wm Garden. It was originally designed in the 1950s as a 34 footer. When it was first built by Vega Marine (predecessor to Willard Marine), it was stretched two feet to 36-ft. 39 hulls we're struck between 1961 and 1970 when Weebles (ex Taras) was built (attached pic is her with the owner and Willard staff in 1970).

Peter

“There’s something about a Garden” Famous boat designer Bob Perry said Garden was “The Frank Lloyd Wright of boat designers. He told me my motor boat was his dream boat…

 

[JDCAVE]

What an amazing story. Drum seine boats can be longer than the 58’ limit seiner, I did not realize that. I’m retired fisherman and still learning! Great shots!

She has many stories to tell. She was on a northern fur seal charter in the 1960’s from the Pribilof Islands to Northern California. Salmon and herring fisheries. A crewman died on a herring reduction fishery when he was struck in the head when a hairpin gave way. Fabulous crew, fabulous meals. I look back at it all fondly. It was a way of life, now virtually extinct.

Jim

 

[Bmarler]

She has many stories to tell. She was on a northern fur seal charter in the 1960’s from the Pribilof Islands to Northern California. Salmon and herring fisheries. A crewman died on a herring reduction fishery when he was struck in the head when a hairpin gave way. Fabulous crew, fabulous meals. I look back at it all fondly. It was a way of life, now virtually extinct.

Jim

That was my experience as a child. Fishing southeast Alaska on my dads boat. Our life centered around the boat and the fishing community. Rafting with friends and having amazing meals in dimly lit galleys. It’s sad to think it’s going or gone away. Replaced with something else though, surely.

 

[Bob Cofer]

I was looking at a 36' Willard when I came upon this boat. I believe the Willard is also a William Garden?

You are correct.

 

[trawlercap]

The first boat I threw up on was a 32 double-end Salmon Troller out of Illwaco Wa. Took me 2-3 years trying to get on a King Crab boat. I started in 1979 On a brand new 122' MARCO King Crabber, F/V Columbia, as a half share green horn. I made full share deck, then engineered for seven years, then got the Capt. Seat in 1987. Same boat till 2014. My son drive a 158' Bering Sea Trawler. I'm glad I got to work with the "Old Guys" as much of their culture still lives on in the fisheries.

 

[Fish53]

I noticed you have a deep water trawler as your avatar, are you a commercial fisherman? I'm a retired Bering Sea crabber/trawler.

Yes, retired after fifty years, that was my last ride on my avatar.

 

[trawlercap]

Yes, retired after fifty years, that was my last ride on my avatar.

50 years! Wholly guacamole man, good on ya! I only fished for 36 or so years…

 

[Fish53]

Started at 18 scalloping in Maine then moved to fish dragging. Fished on George’s Bank for a few years then I went to Alaska, I fished both sides for quite awhile.