Materials Used in Construction and Restoration
We use only the finest materials in our repairs and new construction.
- Hardwoods
- Quartersawn White Oak
- We use white oak for steam bent frames and for structural members, as it bends easily yet is strong and resilient.
- Sapele
- Sapele can be used for most of a boat's structure. It has an attractive grain when varnished, similar to African Mahogany.
- Teak
- Teak is unsurpassed for rot resistance. Although expensive and increasingly difficult to obtain, it is an excellent boatbuilding wood.
- Softwoods
- Sitka Spruce
- Sitka Spruce is very stiff for its weight, and has always been the preferred wood for lightweight spars, paddles and oars. We use specially selected spar grade Sitka spruce.
- Alaska Yellow Cedar
- Alaska Yellow Cedar is a very fine grained rot-resistant wood. It glues and holds fasteners well, and has a beautiful color when varnished.
- Port Orford Cedar
- Similar to yellow cedar, but with a lighter color. Probably the finest cedar for boatbuilding on the West Coast, but not widely available.
- Bronze fasteners and copper rivets and tacks
- We use only non-ferrous fasteners in our boats, ensuring a long, trouble-free life for boats used in fresh or salt water.
- Finishes
- Varnish
- We provide expert varnishing, whether the project is an annual maintenance coat or two, or a complete strip, bleach and refinish. We can handle your needs. We work with both single and two part varnishes, as well as oil finishes. A minimum of six coats of conventional varnish are suggested for UV resistance, fewer for interior or shaded areas.
- Paint
- For most jobs, marine alkyd enamels are appropriate, either brushed or HVLP sprayed. In cases where the abrasion resistance is critical, urethanes (Awlgrip®) can be used.
© 2009 by Grapeview Point Boat Works. All rights reserved.