[davidk]

It might not be everybody''s cup of tea but we have just launched our second new classic shape wooden yacht built by craftsman using traditional skills and techniques except for all the fastenings and coatings. Essentially every face is covered with epoxy and every joint is glued with epoxy (usually as well as bolts, screws etc.). Even the teak decks are ''caulked'' with epoxy impregnated with graphite for the dark stripe effect. The epoxy type has some flexibility so the timber construction can still flex as it was designed to do.

Our first boat has been in the water for some 13 years and has not gained any weight. The danger of our methodology is that any deep gauges to the timber going into fresh wood can allow moisture to be sucked into the timber at an alarming rate. We have never had a problem but are just aware that if we did have a scrape we would need to get it fixed. in our view epoxying wooden hulls is great provided it is done comprehensively from new. This is the case with the second boat.

The first boat was essentially a rebuild/renovation. All the original timbers were disassembled and the moisture content was reduced to a consistant 5% before each timber was encased.

It just suits those of us who like traditional wood (for its strength as well as its beauty) but dislike the maintenance normally assoviated with it.

I''ll tell you about the carbon fibre spars coated in two colour clever clever paint to look like spruce another time.