....I confess to a bit of hyperbole on the 50mm rounds. Probably guilty of it with the ratio of 1m woodies sunk to every 1-single fiberglass boat sunk due to blisters (though probably not off by more than an order of magnitude).
Yes, the resin changes were supposedly important to their demise. Steve D often references a very old piece of research. In all candor Psneeld - you seem to know more about blisters and hydrolysis than most. Willards have their issues with Blisters (and I also owned a 1975 Uniflite 42 ACMY, a good boat) so I know a bit more than average, but that's it.
Wood boats have their place. But the OP seeks one because they're cheap and he believes he has the skills to keep it going. Given all the other stuff he's contemplating, and adding a few bucks to his budget and consider fiberglass, his potential pool would greatly expand.
Peter
I have been looking at many of the different Taiwanese trawlers and most don’t have the layout of a GB, I especially don’t like the galley that goes down the entire side of the saloon, I dont care for the GBs that dont have the Ozzie and Harriet aft cabin or the port bench seat, I want those in a boat. And most I’ve seen even above my price range are leaky pigs.
Just not for me, I don’t like um, I really don’t like the newer GBs, not interested in a queen aft cabin, or any boat that has that in the aft cabin. I want two bunks, I want the convertible settee in the saloon, and a vberth that’s will convert to a double.
Another thing that deters me is the replacement of the fridge, I really like the old nostalgic looking wood door on the GBs, with that door handle. Reminds me so much of the butcher shop I used to clean in the local store when I was a kid.
Newer fiberglass boats remind me of a camper/RV, cheap coverings, cold, and just dont have a boat feel to um. The more teak in the interior the better.
Like the 70s GB50, the full center hallway with all the accommodations below, reminds me of a ocean liner of old, that’s what I’m interested in, all the wood high gloss finish is so sweet. Any GB I get hold of the entire headliner is coming out and replaced with high gloss wood, the beams and trims same.
A guy likes what he likes