There are many materials used in the construction of a boat, all of which have advantages and disadvantages that it will be up to the boater to judge. The choice of this material is an integral part of the specifications of a future owner. The strength and resistance of aluminium for long voyages, for example, or the ease of maintenance of composite for summer cruising, will be favoured.
The first boats were built in wood and this material has been constantly evolving to today's modern constructions. RM Yachts has made this choice by building its boats in plywood/epoxy.
Steel and aluminium are known for their high strength and impact resistance. While steel is mainly chosen for the construction of workboats, aluminium is the choice made by shipyards that produce long-distance sailing boats or large yachts.
Since the 1970s, composite construction has been the most widespread method of building yachts. It is inexpensive and can also be used for mass production.
Special cases
There are other construction methods, but they are not very common. For example, the ferrocement used in the '70s. It consists of covering a metal frame on which a cement mesh was stretched to take the shape of the hull.
The rotomoulding is a construction technique that consists of shaping plastic in powder or liquid form in a mould by the technique of rotation. With this system, the raw material covers the walls of the mould while being heated before being cooled and removed from the mould.
In another style, the sculptor Jean-Yves Menez built the Maen Vag, a granite boat..
