Question about treated wood...

[Seneca Lake Dave]

Hello all. I have enjoyed reading this forum for the past few weeks and I have learned very much about Parker boats. (I am in the market for a new boat and am thinking of the 2120. - So Cal area waters)

As most people, I am always worried about any wood in a boat rotting. I was told by a Parker rep that the wood used is treated ply and can not rot. I found this to be kind of odd, as I figure all wood can rot in the right conditions. But...I was at a boat show and it was getting a little loud and busy to ask him to explain.

Does anyone know what the wood is treated with? And if the wood used in new Parkers is actually "rot proof"

Thanks in advance for any advice or thoughts on the matter.

Dave

 

[Megabyte]

Dave, I don't profess to know the ins and outs of marine plywood, but I do know that it is a much higher grade than what you would find at your local Home Depot.

The glues are waterproof, there are no voids, and they are treated with a much different preservative than anything else you will find for typical home use.

Wood used in boatbuilding is not a bad thing, though there are some uninformed folks who would argue that, and tell you that wood is bad.

Here are two sources of information on marine ply. Hopefully some of our members will be able to offer better info than I can on this subject.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_plywood
http://www.greenwoodproducts.com/moreproducts.htm

 

[Seneca Lake Dave]

Advantages of marine plywood
Durability - small scratches through painted plywood may expose the interior to water. Inexpensive plywood may not last long when it is damp
Strength - marine plywood is stronger and has consistent mechanical properties: no voids.
Workability - marine plywood is usually easier than fiberglass to cut and bend
Resistance to Warping - marine plywood (with the exception of Fir-based plywoods) will resist warping or check

Thanks Kevin...
I took the above off of Wikepedia...and the thing that I see in many descriptions of marine plywood is that FIR based marine ply is not the best stuff to use...yet Parker boats are full of fir.

The stringer system in every Parker is constructed of ”Select Boat Ply," a solid fir plywood specifically designed with extra laminates for boat building,


Confusing!

I am sure that Parker, who makes great boats that are known as some of the best made boats on the planet, knows what they are doing and choose the best materials. Anyway...if anyone can offer some thoughts...

 

[Parker 28]

I don't know much about wood, but do know my first Parker was 9 years old and didn't show any signs of rot. Many, many Partkers are much older and I've never heard "rot" as a complaint. Boats have been made from wood for hundreds of years. I'd worry about other things.

 

[gw204]

The "no wood" mentality just gives lesser manufacturers and excuse to put less effort into building boats. Do a little research and you'll find that there are just as many problems with wood-free rigs.

Parker knows how to build a good boat. I wouldn't think twice about the fact that they use wood. You just have to be sure you care for the boat accordingly...

Good luck.

 

[Stank Bait]

All the wood that went into the grid structure (not sure what it's called) that I saw was treated. I toured the plant some years ago and figure it is still done the same. It was all covered with glass before the boat was assembled. I would not be concerned with rotting inside the hull. More about where I cut holes for rod holders, screws etc. Epoxy the raw wood then use sealer and there should not be any problem. Only if you got water to the wood through an opening in the glass would you be likely to get any rot.
Everything that I saw that was below the deck was sealed in glass. If rotting was a problem you would have heard about it on this board. From what I understand, salt water will not rot wood, only fresh will. Some sailboats keep sacks of salt in the bilge to make the water salty to prevent wood problems. An old trick used on boats in fresh water, I was told this by a sailboating friend.

 

[JC]

From what I understand, salt water will not rot wood, only fresh will. Some sailboats keep sacks of salt in the bilge to make the water salty to prevent wood problems. An old trick used on boats in fresh water, I was told this by a sailboating friend.

That is a fact.......Fresh water will attack and break down the fibers of wood much faster. However, with hydroscopic materials the concern is saturation. When attaching to a wood structure, you must keep all fasteners and openings sealed with the appropriate caulking compound. Fiberglass also has porosity. The function of Gel Coat not only makes your boat pretty; it’s applied as a barrier on the surface to seal the underlayment from intrusion.

 

[Seneca Lake Dave]

Here is the best answer I could get!

Thanks to everybody for your help and advice.

Dave

I don’t know the chemicals the wood is treated with but I do know that the wood is warranted for life from the wood manufacturer against rot. It’s a good question and I’ll find out…

Also… don’t remember if I mentioned this to you, but Lywood Parker (himself) will be with us during the entire Long Beach Fred Hall show… and no better a man to ask questions about his boats.

 

[Megabyte]

Dave... I hope you come back here with a report after that conversation!

 

[Parker23]

Wood is Good!

 

[Claymar]

May have missed somthing along the way but what part of the boat will have wood exposed to water without a break in the fiberglass or gelcoat?

 

[offshorejunky]

I was reading through the brochure and I didn't see anywhere that it said that they used "marine grade plywood" It just says "treated fir" Does anyone know for sure what type of wood parker uses in the boats. I don't have a problem with wood, but most companies claim to be using an XL marine grade with a lifetime warranty ie Osprey, and some other boat brands. Is Parker using this type of a wood and just calls it something different or is it a treated fir plywood like you can get at the local lumber yard. I would really like to see a pic of any hole cutouts in the floor. Does anyone have any pics like that? Anyone that can shed any light on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Claymar]

The Parker web site says in the FAQ's that marine grade plywood is used and that the stringers are solid fir.