As boat builders, we spend years honing our craft. Did you know that boat building is one of the oldest crafts in human history, stretching all the way back to the first canoe, found in the Netherlands between 8200 and 7600 BC?
With all that time to evolve and many different places around the world contributing their knowledge, the craft of boat building has shifted and evolved rapidly over the years. With the introduction of exciting new materials and technologies, such as aluminium fabrication, there are now many different boat construction types to choose from.
That said, there are a few aspects of boat construction that make it what it is today. To understand the different types of boat construction, we’re breaking down these various aspects. There are too many individual boat types to cover in this article alone, so instead, we’ll focus on broader aspects of construction and why a boat builder might recommend one choice over another for certain situations.
From the length of the vessel to the material used for its construction, come along as we unpack everything modern boat builders use to shape vessels for sea-faring.
Let’s dive right in.
First, the ‘class’ of a boat is defined only by its length. There are four classes to contend with, as below:
Across all four classes, you can have any kind of boat, from pleasure yachts to fishing vessels. When defining how long you want your boat to be, our boat builders will check in with you about the purpose of your vessel and make our recommendations from there.
The size of the boat can also have a heavy impact on the budget of the project, which is why it’s important to define which class your boat will occupy as soon as possible.
Broadly speaking, you can divide most modern-day boats into two categories: monohull and multi-hulled. Once in those categories, the classifications split down even further, producing a vast array of different boat types too extensive to be covered here. So, let’s focus on the advantages and disadvantages of these two broad categories.
Monohull boats generally fall into three categories of their own: soft chine, hard chine, and no chine. The ‘chine’ of a boat is the edge of its hull where it meets and dips beneath the water, and the shape of its construction can determine what a boat is most prepared for.
For example, a hard chine boat is built for stability and load-bearing, while a soft chine boat is preferable for speed and manoeuvrability in the water. Boats with no chine at all have a curved hull, providing a much smoother ride in rough waters than their flat-hulled companions.
When it comes to multi-hulled boats, there are classifications all the way up to five hulls. Multi-hulled boats are prized for their stability in the water, and they tend to be lighter without the ballast of monohull sailboats, which is why many boat builders recommend them for speedy blue-water sailing.
Finally, we have the materials. The first boats were made out of wood, and many still are today. But there are several other materials popular in the modern boating scene, the king of which is undeniably aluminium.
Aluminium boats are fantastic for walking the line between durability, aesthetics, and longevity. These boats are known for being lightweight, with a pretty fantastic strength-to-weight ratio that makes this material king among modern boat builders and vessel owners.
In particular, aluminium boats are prized for their versatility, as an experienced aluminium boat builder can craft any kind of vessel from this strong, flexible material. Long-lasting and sleek in the water, this is the ideal choice for pleasure yachts and commercial vessels alike.
In essence, all fibreglass is simply a type of fibre anchored in a type of resin, and the many combinations therein can yield a lot of different results for boaters.
Unfortunately, fibreglass is also known for being very expensive, and it’s vulnerable to osmosis. In other words, water can seep through the top layers to permeate the more vulnerable middle layer, causing rotting over time.
Finally, there are wooden boats. The popularity of wooden boats has dipped sharply, as it is less reliable than aluminium by a long shot, and offers less longevity. Wooden boats are still occasionally constructed for heritage reasons, but since wood isn’t as kind to speed or longevity as the aluminium alternatives, it’s fallen sharply out of favour.
This article is by no means exhaustive, but we hope that it serves as a primer for anyone considering a custom vessel or any enthusiasts jumping into the craft for themselves.
The most important thing to remember is to carefully consider what you want your vessel to do. Then, you can communicate this with your chosen team of boat builders to yield the boat that will see you through many decades to come.
Our boat builders have a long-held tradition of building world-class New Zealand-made boats of all shapes and sizes. Ready to embark on your own boat-building journey? Get in touch today to book your consultation.