Wood If You Could

A case study on why you shouldn't judge a boat builder by the brand name

It's a good thing the WB40 is such a stunning boat to behold, because the brand name, Wooden Boats, doesn't exactly conjure up images of luxury and technological prowess. But we can cut company founder Marco Arnaboldi a little slack as it's clear his focus has been on creating beautiful boats, not on revolutionising the world of marine marketing.

“I was interested in combining wood, the most noble of boatbuilding materials that has outstanding mechanical properties, with advanced carbon composites. The advantage was that we could create unique custom boats without having to invest in expensive moulds and tooling,” explains Arnaboldi.

Their WB40 Classic is a 12.95m day cruiser with a European flair, made from sandwiched layers of multi-directional mahogany and pre-preg carbon fibre using an epoxy vacuum method. 

The deep-V hull has been engineered for water-jet propulsion and when strapped with a pair of 420hp Yanmars coupled with MJP water jets, this wooden wonder will surge to a top speed of 40 knots (and a respectable cruise speed of 36 knots).

It's primarily a weekend cruiser with ample lounge space and room to carry up to 14 guests, but there's a comfy cabin with a double bed and a bathroom with toilet and shower tucked below the deck. There's an al fresco kitchen behind the helm, featuring a sink, two-burner stove and fridge, which is perfect for sunset cook ups and entertaining.

Of course, none of this is written in stone and owners have the ability to customise their WB40s in whatever ways they see fit. It's even possible to commission a hard-top version that has fold-down bulwarks and a full carbon fibre hull (but why anyone would want a carbon fibre boat from a company called Wooden Boats is puzzling).

QUICK SPECS

PRICE POA

LENGTH 12.95m (42ft 6in)

BEAM 4m (13ft 1in)

DRAFT 0.55m (1ft 10in)

DISPLACEMENT 8.5t

FUEL 2x 400L

WATER 250L

ENGINE 2 x 420hp Yanmar

WEB woodenboats.it