The other method is glued-lap construction, which is like the traditional lapstrake technique, except that marine plywood is used for planking and is glued together at the laps. This style of building uses no permanent frames, creating a strong, light boat with a clean interior. When properly engineered in a composite structure, the resulting boat has the same strength as a conventional fiberglass boat at about half the weight. This allows the purchase and use of smaller motors, resulting in reduced operating expenses for the same performance. Or, in the case of limited power sources such as sails or oars, better performance.
Wood is versatile.
Wood construction can be high tech or low tech, suitable for small or large boats, used by professionals pushing the edges of performance and design, and also by back-yard builders putting together a kit boat with their kids. Recent examples of the above would include offshore racing powerboats built of light weight marine plywood, spruce, epoxy, and fiberglass, and 60 twelve foot skiffs built by family teams at the last Wooden Boat Show . Wood is a familiar material, readily available, workable with common tools. Wooden boats can be easily and reliably repaired. Even wood's ability to rot can be an advantage.