Five Modern-Day Mahogany Yachting Masterpieces

The Pesse canoe, a dugout made from a hollowed tree trunk, is the oldest boat ever found. Built between 8040 and 7510 BC, it exemplifies how critical wood has been to boatbuilding, all the way from prehistoric times through the last century, when it was still the material of choice for Gatsby-style runabouts and America’s Cup racing yachts. In the 1950s, a new-fangled material called fiberglass began to replace wood, but there are still a handful of intrepid builders around the world that create stylish motorboats in mahogany. While they often replicate retro-styles like famed 1930s Chris-Craft Barrelbacks, most builders are creating sleeker, more contemporary versions that often look nicer than their fiberglass competitors. Built with a special epoxy system that makes them as sun-resistant as fiberglass, mahogany has the advantage of delivering a more pleasant wooden sound when it slices through waves. Owners also like to talk about the softer ride in a mahogany boat. Here are five of the best woodies from the U.S. and Europe.