Six River Marine - West Pointer skiffs

160 Royal Road • North Yarmouth, Maine 04097 • Phone: 207-846-6675 • Fax: 207-846-6191 • Email: info@sixrivermarine.com

The cold-molded process

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What is cold-molding?

We start with high quality cedar veneer stock and a form over which the veneers can be bent. These veneers are applied on the diagonal with each subsequent layer epoxied at right angles to the previous one for strength, stiffness and stability. Each layer is then vacuum bagged before the epoxy sets. This process allows the vacuum pressure to uniformly clamp the entire hull thereby eliminating the possibility of voids in the laminate. The final result is a rigid, one piece structure made completely out of wood, not fiberglass.

How does a cold-molded hull compare to a fiberglass hull?

Wood has a far superior strength to weight ratio than does fiberglass. Wood is a far better insulator against sound than fiberglass. Wood is far more resistant to fatigue than fiberglass.

	Owners Chip and Scott apply a second layer of cedar veneers to a new West Pointer 18.		*How can I tell the difference?* The cold-molded wooden hull is lighter with a more quiet and comfortable ride than its typical fiberglass counterpart. It requires a smaller engine for the same performance. *What about maintenance?* Unlike traditional wooden boat construction where the hull planking shrinks and swells each season, a cold-molded boat requires no more annual maintenance than an aluminum or fiberglass boat. The rigid one-piece hull structure provides an excellent base for any paint system. *What about rot?* We start with decay resistant wood species' and completely seal with epoxy. The result is a solid, impervious structure. With proper maintenance, rot won't have a chance to get started.

What about blistering?

This is a term associated with fiberglass boats laid up with polyester resin. Essentially, the polyester resin allows the fiberglass strands to wick moisture into the hull causing local delamination. The typical (and expensive) repair is to grind back to sound fiberglass and seal with epoxy to keep the moisture out. This is not an issue with our cold-molded hulls due to the materials and techniques we use.

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