Wooden Yachts

A wooden yacht is the choice for those who prefer traditional technologies in boat construction and love traditional sea voyages. It is the choice for people who enjoy a fresh sea breeze mixed with a little scent of wood.

Wood is building material longest known to mankind and has been used since ancient times. People used to build boats made of wood long before metal ones or plastic ones.

How much is the cost?

The question is very difficult to answer in one sentence. While searching the market for a new boat, you can stumble upon super yachts of elite class, mimicking the vessels of the middle Ages or the boats of the New World, as well as very old and decrepit boats, more often with an engine, requiring serious overhaul or the whole body replacement.

If we are talking about a new yacht, the price issue is also not very simple. It depends on many factors:

• Wood type
• Region of residence (any kind wood in certain countries is just more expensive than in others)
• size of the vessel
• level of the potential boat

Made from valuable fine wood specimens, a replica of a ship belonging to one of the famous masters of the seas, equipped with sail and unique detailing, would cost millions of dollars. In contrast, a small vessel built by a no-name shipyard and being already used would cost you substantially less. Compared to other materials, wood is undoubtedly more expensive.

Net cost.

Wood is a very complex material which is difficult to process. Wood carving and finishing techniques remain the same today as they were many years ago. If we are talking about a complete boat, the price would depend on:

• Wood type, considering how commonly it grows in the region (the shipping costs influence quite a lot, so it is less expensive to buy wood where it is “harvested”).
• Processing method (the wood is needed to be dried, treated with certain substances, i.e. some tar, pressed flat)
• Building method.

It is very important to understand that every wooden yacht is a one of a kind product. It is just impossible to organize mass production. In fact, it is the manual labor that is very highly valued. Additionally, most of the boats require special equipment. Without a shipyard, a manufacturer cannot begin the yacht construction. That, of course, has its influence on the final price.

Performance Features of the Wooden Yachts.

For some time, wood was considered to be the only material capable of staying afloat. That is why ships were made exclusively out of wood. Today, with modern technologies progressing every day and new materials being used, boats are faster, lighter, and more stable.

Nevertheless wooden yachts have their disadvantages:

• Wooden boats are heavier than plastic or aluminum, limiting their speed and maneuverability.
• Low resistance to dampness and liquids, especially ocean water. On its own, wood rots and goes bad very quickly if left in the water. In order for your wooden yacht to serve you for many years to come, it is necessary to take good care of it. It takes more effort to keep it in good shape, compared to plastic or steel.
• Low strength. Needless to say, a quality wooden hull is strong enough to hold a hit; but if the hit is powerful or continuous enough as in the case of a storm, the vessel will fall apart. That was actually the case with most of the wooden ships for quite some time.

Low fire resistance. Wood burns, period. Even if treated with some fire-retardant, the risk of fire cannot be completely eliminated. Fires must be handled very carefully while on board.

Repairs and maintenance.

In this regard, wooden yachts fall behind other yachts. First, wood needs meticulous, routine, expensive servicing. Second, if breaches should appear, you would need to patch large area of the hull, if not replace them. However, with enough experience, it is possible to do on your own or with the help of untrained professionals under your supervision.

Wooden yachts are being valued and purchased not for outstanding performance or convenient servicing. The attraction that draws the owners to such yachts is their loyalty to the traditions of boatbuilding and seafaring. Maybe it is a dream to build the way our ancestors did and that can only be achieved by working with natural wood.

Wooden Yachts for Sale

At Atlantic Yacht and Ship, Inc., we have over 100 wooden yachts for sale including these brands: Camper & Nicholsons, Bilgin Yachts, Picchiotti, Blue Sea Maritime S.A., William Fife and Son, Rybovich, Cantiere Nautico, and more.

Traditionalists typically choose wooden yachts based on their loyalty to boatbuilding techniques of the past. However, there are many things to consider when purchasing a wooden yacht due to the care and diligence necessary to maintain their condition. For this reason, it helps to work with an experienced yacht broker that can assist you whether you are purchasing or selling a yacht of any type.

In business since 1959, we have built an extensive network and partnership with large-scale yacht manufacturers throughout the world giving us access to the finest, luxury yachts available. We are able to pass this experience onto our clients to help you make the best choice when purchasing or selling your new or previously owned yacht.

Whether you are looking for luxury, wooden yachts for sale or have a yacht you’d like to put on the market, we can assist you with everything from the negotiating and closing process down to hiring crew members.