Staff Writer
BROOKLIN — An old wooden sailboat, the North Wind, sits in a storage building at the Brooklin Boat Yard as it awaits the beginning of another boating season.
When Joel White built this 35-foot ketch in 1970, it represented the cutting edge of boatbuilding technology. Instead of just fastening planks of wood over a series of rib-like frames, he also glued the planks together, creating a seam so tight that he was able to keep the hull watertight without caulking.
The North Wind was one step in the long history of boatbuilding technology, which continues to evolve today. White's son, Steven White, who now heads the boatyard, manufactures hulls with wood laminates that are epoxied together over a form. Vacuum bags create atmospheric pressure that seals the laminates together. The result is a wooden hull that is as light and strong as fiberglass.
The yard is one of many in Maine that are embracing technology even as they build boats based on classic designs.
Maine boatbuilders are leading the industry in search of new ways to build boats, said Habib Dagher, director of the University of Maine's Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center, which works with boatyards to develop new products and manufacturing systems.
"Maine is at the forefront of developing new technologies at the national and international levels," he said.
Maine boatyards must go high-tech just to survive, said Andr Cocquyt, who recently opened an advanced composites training center in Brunswick. More of the nation's boat manufacturers are moving their operations overseas to take advantage of cheaper labor. But he said investments in new technology will reduce labor costs and allow Maine yards to remain competitive.
Cocquyt sees a lot of opportunity for growth in Maine because the state's labor pool is rich with skilled and detail-oriented boat- builders. Once trained, he said, workers will be able to build other products, such as windmill blades and aviation parts.
Although the evolution of wood technology in boatbuilding has slowed in recent years, fiberglass technology continues to develop rapidly.
Boatbuilders increasingly are moving away from the conventional method of building fiberglass hulls, a messy, odorous job that involves applying fiberglass and resin by hand in an open mold.
In the new method, precut fiberglass weave is draped over a mold, which is then sealed in a plastic bag. Using pressure created by a vacuum, liquid resin is injected into the woven mesh. There are no toxic vapors left over because there is no excess resin wasted in the process.
Boatbuilders are also combining different materials, such as Kevlar and carbon fiber, to create composite materials that are stronger and lighter. Carbon fiber, for example, is light and stiff but can easily be punctured. So boatbuilders combine it with Kevlar, which is bulletproof.
Sail canvas, meanwhile, is being replaced by synthetic composite materials that allow sails to both hold their shape and roll up easily, and an array of new equipment means fewer hands are needed to sail a boat.
Hodgdon Yachts in East Boothbay, which builds cold-molded luxury yachts, has taken on a Navy project that will showcase the use of composites. The Navy is looking to replace its Mark V, an 82-foot high-speed boat that carries combat swimmers. The boat's lightweight aluminum hull, however, is so stiff that it transfers much of the ocean's wave energy to its passengers as it skips along the surface, even causing spinal injuries in certain conditions.
Working with the University of Maine's Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center, Hodgdon Yachts has developed a hull design using specialized composite materials. The new hull absorbs wave impact and provides a more comfortable and safer ride.
When the prototype is completed next year, the Navy plans a head-to-head test with the aluminum boats.
The Navy is pleased with preliminary test...
Reader comments
Click here to view or add comments on this story
Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form