Why wood

[J V]

Why do they still have wood in parker boats.

 

[esfishdoc]

Because it works.. and it works well... and it will continue to work well... :lol:

 

[TimC2520]

Stuff happens, let's try to get back to some sense of normalcy and exchange ideas and helpful information.

 

[jpg1969]

I believe Parker does a good job in addressing this question on their factory website in the FAQ section:

Specifics:
http://www.parkerboats.net/pages/faqs/a ... p?faqid=19
http://www.parkerboats.net/pages/faqs/a ... p?faqid=45
http://www.parkerboats.net/pages/faqs/a ... p?faqid=14

Or check out the entire FAQ:
http://www.parkerboats.net/pages/faqs/index.jsp

Well worth a read.

 

[Porkchunker]

See my profile, and check out my woodie.

Dave

aka

 

[DaleH]

Why do they still have wood in Parker boats.

Because it works! Once sandwiched, there's really no other material that compares. Now of course the core can be subject to water intrusion, but that's a whole 'nuther issue. In regards to 'soft spots' on Parker boats, we'll be diving more into this issue at a later date when I get the pictures and the assessment from a professional fiberglass shop.

Many alternate materials are being used today, predominently composite materials, but they too suffer from some issues - which would be delamination or lack of structural integrity.

Thing is ... either coring material - WELL designed and competently installed - should be fine for the life of the boat.

 

[Porkchunker]

If wood was so bad, why does Buddie Davis still use wood in his 55, 60, and 65 Sport Fishermen? Talk about mega-bucks to buy.

As Dale stated, wood is still the best structural stiffening material that is not exorbitantly priced. Some woods are more rot resistant than others. Some of those cedar trees have been laying around the bottom of the St. John's River in central Florida, since Ponce de Leon first explored it over 400 years ago.

Once the builder has selected a good quality of wood/ply, it comes down to building it right in the first place, AND THEN the owner must take care once it is placed into use. If you drill a hole through the wood, piercing the resin/glass coating, then you have to seal the end-grain before installing the hardware. There are several threads in the Project forum here on CP that show how to do that. Every few years, the hardware should be removed and rebedded in sealant such as 3M 5200, or 4200, or 4000. Over time, the bedding can develop breaks, which will allow water to intrude. A boat is not a launch and forget system...it takes a LOT of TLC over its entire lifetime if you want it to last.

My boat is now 5 years old. Sometime this summer, I'll probably remove all the screws associated with the trim tabs and electric rams, and rebed them in fresh sealant. Will do the same for the fuel tank inspection plates and bilge hatch cover.

Dave

aka

 

[Interloper]

Encapsulated wood works great provided that nobody ever drills into it. I purchased my boat second hand and everywhere I look there is stuff such as antennas, fishing rod holders, and a bimini that has been attached with screws. My boat is a Steiger Craft and has a solid glass cockpit deck; however, there is core material in the transom, side decks and foredeck. The ideal approach is to drill oversize holes, fill them with resin, and then drill holes for the fasteners; however, this is seldom done.

Many high-end boat builders use wood core material; however, this should not be taken as an endorsement. It is simply a reflection of the low cost and simplicity of building parts from wood and then covering them with fiberglass as opposed to building molds.

Many manufacturers are switching to Coosa Composites foam core material. The manufacturers that use it are advertising it prominently.

 

[B-Faithful]

Many manufacturers are switching to Coosa Composites foam core material. The manufacturers that use it are advertising it prominently.

Other materials some are using is Nida-core and Divinycell.. I know Judge Yachts has swtiched from wood to Nida-core in their smaller boats and Divinycell in the large boats.


Wood is also still a very good structural material. There is a small local builder in Maryland (anderson boats) who has posted on another forum that they have built boats out of all composite and wood structure and that the wood boats road better. If he was to build a boat for himself, it would have wood.
(see Thomas70's reply here: http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/thre ... 8#M1972055 )

 

[Megabyte]

Coosa, Nidacore, and Divinacell (sp?) are all promising products, and many builders are using those new materials in their construction.
It will be interesting to see how those composites stand the test of time, and to see how they are holding up 100 years from now.

 

[rangerdog]

Mr. "Classic Parker," Dale, wood give a quick lesson on Preserving Wood Core When Drilling Into It if asked. It ain't rocket science I am sure he wood say. :wink: