Why I Bought A Small Wooden Sailboat

When setting out to buy a sailboat, most people opt for a well-known, mass-produced, make-and-model, made-from-fibre glass. When I began my search for a boat, I planned to do the same. So how come I ended up with a small wooden sailboat designed by a guy who lives on the other side of the Atlantic? I work full-time and live on the outskirts of London, about 50 miles from where I sail on the south coast of England. My goal was to find a fibreglass yacht somewhere between 20 and 30 feet long. But the more I delved into the practicalities of owning a yacht, the more I realised that I simply didn't have the time to maintain one. And I discovered that small sailboats have many advantages over larger boats. Small boats can go places that larger boats can't. They have the ability to explore shallow waterways, navigate tight spaces, and even sail straight onto a beach when equipped with features like a retractable centreboard and a kick-up rudder. Small boats are easily trailered. They can be transported to different parts of the country without having to navigate coastal waters, and taken abroad without having to cross open seas. They can be trailered to inland waterways. Sailing far and wide on a good-sized yacht would require a lot more planning, time and money. Small boats are relatively inexpensive compared with larger boats, and the cost of ownership is low. They use less gear and are easy to maintain. They can be stored in a garage or large shed. Moorings are not necessary. Small boats fill in with busy lives. They are generally quick to prepare and can sail in winds that are just too light for more substantial sailboats. With a small boat, you might find that you sail more often. It's easier to find a space in a busy dock and navigate crowded waterways with a small boat, and they are relatively easy to handle, important if you plan to sail single-handed. Boats have been built out of wood for thousands of years because wood is abundant, buoyant, strong, light, easily shaped and repaired. Despite the popularity of modern materials like fiberglass and carbon fiber, people still make and buy wooden boats. They have a set of characteristics that give them enduring appeal. Wooden boats turn heads. They have timeless elegance and generate strong emotional responses, as well as a sense of nostalgia. They foster an appreciation for craftsmanship and traditions that have been handed down through generations. Wood has aesthetic appeal. It's warm, incredibly tactile and visually pleasing. It ages better than other materials. Some would say it looks better with age. It certainly develops character. Mostly built by hand, wooden boats offer endless opportunities for customization, providing owners with something unique that's tailored to their needs. A weakness of wood is that it has to be protected from the damaging effects of water by coating it with a waterproofing substance like oil, varnish, paint or epoxy. But wood has some major advantages over modern boat building materials like fiberglass, aluminum and steel. It has a much better strength to weight ratio and is pliable enough to flex a little without breaking. The cellular structure of wood gives it the ability to dissipate energy. It's good at damping, so easily absorbs shocks and vibrations. Wood naturally insulates against heat, cold and noise. If maintained properly, a wooden boat will easily outlast its owner. Wooden boats are environmentally friendly. They're built from a renewable material. Compared with other boat building processes, wooden boat production has a relatively low carbon footprint. Wood is biodegradable. It can be left to rot and decompose naturally, or it can be recycled to create something new. What drew me to the Echina Bay was its combination of protection from the elements and its simplicity. Many day boats are open with no deck. The Echina Bay is half decked with combing around the cockpit, so even if you get her heeled over, she's not going to let in water. With her unstayed mast and classic standing lugsail, she is easy to rig single-handed. I can get sailing within a few minutes without the assistance of others. And with just one sail to manage, I can easily sail her on my own. My 99 square foot of four-sided sail has a couple of advantages when compared with a triangular sail of equivalent area. A triangular sail shape would necessitate a taller mast. The shorter mast creates a more stable boat. The centre of effort is lower. There's less heeling movement for a given amount of thrust compared with a triangular sail. The shorter mast makes the lugger a great trailer sailor. When transporting the boat, not much of the mast sticks out front, and both yard and boom can be stowed inside the boat. The single sail, set close to the bow, leaves a lot of free space in the boat. She has a generous beam and shallow draft, which makes her stable yet nimble. She's well built and has some lovely features, like the softly angled oak combing. Bronze belay pins and mahogany planking on the deck. I wanted a boat that would perform well and be easy to handle. But also something a bit different. The Echina Bay One Design doesn't disappoint. She required some renovation and upgrading of features, which have been documented on my YouTube channel. I quite like a project and I'm fortunate to have found the Echina Bay. I feel a genuine sense of responsibility to take good care of her.