Custom Woodwork
We are wood craftsmen at heart, and enjoy adding wood touches to give a classic, artistic look to our boats.
Boats made entirely of wood are often impractical for most modern boat owners, but the addition of wood-trim work imparts the same old-world aesthetic to our fiberglass boats. Below in the gallery you’ll see some examples of our work: from wood trim, to teak seats, to custom inlays on the bow plate or stern sheets.
This 10′ Navigator has custom wood trim and seats.
About our Wood Trim Options
Our STANDARD trim is vinyl rubrail, but all of our custom-built boats can be upgraded to LAMINATED WOOD TRIM (see pricing page for current rates).
- We use CEDAR for the wood trim on our traditional 8-14′ dinghies. (That’s the 8′ Nisqually, 9.5′ Captain’s Gig, 10′ Navigator, 12′ Point Defiance, and 14′ Whitehall.) On small boats like ours that prioritize ease of use, a lightweight wood like cedar is a great way to keep the overall weight of the boat down. While we could use a heavier wood like teak, cedar has similar durability and classic looks while keeping the boat’s weight light and easy to manage. Cedar can vary in color depending on the species, but usually what’s most readily available here in the Pacific Northwest is yellow cedar, so it leans more golden than red in tone.
- We use MAHOGANY for the wood trim on our larger skiffs. (That’s the 17′ Jersey Skiff, 17′ Salish Voyager, 16.5′ Melonseed, and 12′ Scamp.) On our larger skiffs a heavier and harder wood makes more sense. Mahogany has a lovely reddish tone to it, and we’ve found it complements every color combination that customers have dreamed up for their boats.
- Our wood trim is laminated with epoxy and finished with varnish. We strongly recommend storing wood trim boats inside or underneath one of our custom-fit canvas storage covers if it will be stored out in the weather. When kept protected from weather exposure, our wood finishes are low-maintenance and can keep looking beautiful for decades.
We occasionally upgrade wood trim to TEAK with an oiled finish upon customer request, depending upon market price and availability of teak. This is the classic “old school” finish, and it’s popular for a reason. But an oiled finish takes routine maintenance with regular reapplication of teak oil to maintain its beauty and weather resistance. NOTE: As of August 2024, teak wood is unavailable due to a US trade embargo on the world’s leading producer (Myanmar).
In addition to good looks, in some cases wood trim pieces can also serve a practical purpose. For example, wood oarlock risers on the gunwales make it easier to recover on the oarstroke, allowing you to row smoothly in choppy conditions. We also can affix a decorative rope rail accent to wood trim, which adds an especially striking detail and offers the wood a degree of protection from scraping/rubbing. The rope looks like classic cotton, but is actually a modern material. We bed it with marine grade polysulfide compound so that it adheres well and cleans up easily.
As you look through our website you will notice the great variety of custom wood work we have done for our customers. Each boat ends up being unique and special for their owner. The gallery below shows a few samples of woodwork options.
The price of custom woodwork depends, of course, on how much labor is required. Contact us to discuss your desires and for a price quote. We think you’ll find us very reasonable and your boat will be gorgeous!
