Re: Who uses the least wood in new boats?
That's Caravelle's calling card. 0% wood on their boats. Not even in the seats or trim. Of course you pay a little extra for it, but not too bad...I would call them an "average" priced runabout.<br /><br />But these days most runabout manufacturers use wood-free stringers and transoms...I think even Bayliner brags about this, and you can't find boats much less expensive than theirs. Not sure about their decking, though.<br /><br />Frankly, I think "wood free" claims may be a bit overrated. For example, Crownline has all kinds of wood in their boats, even in the stringers and hull. According to my local dealer, they experimented with wood-free a few years back and didn't like the noisy ride and handling, so they went back to wood because they simply felt it built a better, more luxurious boat. Yet they back it with a lifetime warranty. So if it rots 38 years from now (and Crownline is still in business), they'll fix it for free. That's good enough for me. Of couse Crownline is a fairly premium runabout brand and likely will not fit your budget.<br /><br />Bottom line is if you buy a boat new, care for it and store it properly, don't let it float in a slip all summer, and most importantly keep it as dry as possible on the inside, it'll last a lifetime without a speck of rot. So I don't feel it's too important to get real hung up on the "wood free" thing.<br /><br />If you research each mfrs websites you'll get all your answers about their construction methods.
