How to Choose the Right Wood for Your Marine Applications

In our recent times, wood is still the top choice for marine application even though composites and plastics are reigning in other fields.

As one old mariner told, “there are qualities of wood embody the romance of the sea” - warmth of wood in the sun, wooden gunwales that crafted and shaped meet the grasping hand.

Unlike the men of the past, who where experts with the properties of spruce, cedar, teak, and jarrah, - many of today’s young spring mariners are not familiar with how to pick/select the right woods for marine use.

This 3 part post will be the guide to all newbie in selecting the best wood/lumber for your marine application.

Understanding what’s the use of Wood

Before repairing or replacing wood on your boat, it is important to understand what the use of the wood will be.
That would be:

Exterior marine surfaces – used for decks, gunwales and hardware mounts.

You will likely be choosing teak and white oak woods for their dense, decay-resistant properties.

Teak woods have been the popular for many craftsmen for its strength and sturdiness. The wood’s natural oil provides an exceptional resistance to moisture, and it can be left unfinished without compromising its longevity.

While teak is popular everywhere, there are also many marine woods that are as durable and tough:

Greenheart Wood was used by Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.

Jarrah Wood was used as railway ties of the London Underground.

Lignum Vitae Wood - The toughest commercially-available wood which far exceeds teak in density, strength, stiffness, and decay resistance is also a great choice.

North American suppliers seldom carry these more exotic hardwoods in quantity, though they will often stock small boards or blanks used by wood turners.

In general, tougher is better, especially for hardware mounts.

Most dense woods are also highly moisture resistant with natural oils produce a dark, glossy polish that is quite beautiful.

Most of them are also expensive, and therefore unsuitable for large projects such as decks and gunwales. Teak, oak and mahogany, though also pricey (but less so), can be found in large quantities in most metropolitan areas.

Be cautious in choosing mahogany: since 1595, when the carpenter on Sir Walter Raleigh’s ship first discovered its properties and introduced them to European craftsmen, mahogany has been the victim of vast over-harvesting which is also a long time environmental concerns.


The Honduras and Cuban mahogany varieties are claimed endangered (which is very hard to acquire and of course impacts to a higher price), and most of today’s types of mahogany are poorer substitutes like Agba, Ramin, and Philippine Mahogany (Lauan) and not a true mahogany.

Many woods from the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest also make excellent marine woods in specific applications.

Douglas Fir (DF) wood is stronger than steel (and also by weight), and it is light, stiff, and easy to work with. Maple wood is sturdy and flexible to use.

Western red cedar wood is wonderfully resistant to decay.

These woods are plentiful and relatively inexpensive, though they usually require care in working, finishing and, except for maple wood, are unsuitable in situations where mechanical strength is required.

Before you visit the nearest lumberyard or wood shop in your area, decide whether you need a light wood (such as for spars, oars and dinghy parts), or a dense, heavy wood (for hardware mountings and other fittings).

See you again for Part two of the choosing marine wood post.