The News, Culture and Practice of Sailing woodenboats
in Australia, New Zealand & The South Pacific.

SWS is a not-for-profit enterprise, created for and by the traditional maritime community. If you read and enjoy it, consider supporting us financially.
Click Here to Donate

ENVIRONMENT Mark Chew ENVIRONMENT Mark Chew

End of life boats

Wood and steel hulls in old boats can be managed relatively easily through established recycling routes, as can other metal and wood components on a boat. This is not the case for FRP, which doesn’t easily decompose, though it does physically break down over time. Research undertaken at the University of Brighton has shown that boats made of FRP which are left in the water release microscopic fibres.

Read More