Questions frequently asked of wooden boat builders. We are designers and builders of modern custom wood boats using WEST SYSTEM® epoxy glues and resins.

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As builders of wood boats, we have attended many boat shows. One of the pleasures of exhibiting at a show is the ability to interact with the show goers and help them to understand what they are seeing. The FAQ which follow are samples of the questions that attendees most frequently ask of wooden boat builders like ourselves. The answers given here of course apply only to the construction techniques and business practices of Nexus Marine Corporation. Other wooden boat builders may have different techniques and practices.

The FAQ:

My uncle Bill used to have a wooden boat. He was always working on it. He used to make me paint and varnish, too, if I wanted to go fishing. It was a drag. It leaked and rotted. Finally he got rid of it and bought a fiberglass boat. Why on earth would I want a wooden boat?

Our boats are wooden boats, but they probably not like any wooden boats you have seen before. Technology keeps marching along. You wouldn't want a 1960's computer. The wood in our boats is encapsulated in epoxy resin. The individual pieces are glued together with epoxy resin. The whole boat is one piece, just like a welded aluminum boat. It can't leak or rot, and we have never built a boat which did either. A modern wooden boat is light, fast, quiet, warm, smooth, and beautiful. It will also outlast boats built of those inferior materials like brittle plastic and easily corrodible metal.

Aren't wooden boats heavier than fiberglass boats?

Not necessarily. Our boats are lighter than most fiberglass boats, as much as 50% lighter. It is possible to build composite (foam cored) fiberglass boats which are lighter than a modern wooden boat, but then you've got that thin outer skin to worry about, and they aren't cheap, either. Compare the weights of our boats with the weights of boats built of those other materials. We think you will be surprised. Remember, lighter boats take less power and fuel to drive, or go faster with the same power, and they are easier to trailer and launch.

While we will build to the design of anyone you wish, most of our boats are designed by David Roberts, Nexus Marine Corporation's in-house designer and project manager. The design for the V-bottom boats has its inspiration in the East Coast bass boat, which is a derivative of the lobster boat. The flat-bottom boats are elaborations on well-proven skiff designs.

Most of our boats have planing hulls. The V-bottom boats are designed to top out at around 40 mph, with an economical cruise at 26-27 mph. The flat bottom boats top out around 25 mph, and cruise at 16-17 mph.

Over the epoxy, we use Awlgrip linear polyurethane paint, the best paint on the market. They paint airplanes with it. It will retain its gloss much longer than gelcoat.

We use a marine polyurethane varnish over a clear epoxy coating. If you don't want varnish, our standard brightwork finish is Cetol, which is very long lasting and easy to take care of.

It depends on how many docks you run into. Seriously, Awlgrip will probably need to be recoated about every 10 years. This is not a big job, because the boat was Awlgripped in the first place, and was built with that in mind. No need to "wood it down," just sand and repaint. Much easier than trying to Awlgrip a 'glass boat. Ask any experienced painter. The polyurethane varnish lasts about five years, with occasional touchups for the dings. It can last much longer with care. It has to be wooded down and professionally redone. Cetol needs one coat every year, or at least a touchup on the worn spots. It's very easy to do. Anyone can do it in a day.

All our boats are custom boats, in that each boat is built for a particular client. Sometimes we use hull and cabin designs which we have built before, and sometimes we start with a fresh sheet of paper (or blank computer window). It depends on what the client wants.

We built our first boat in 1974, and have been hard at it ever since.

Yes. Just ask.