NJ Boat Construction
From the very beginning the Jersey boats were well constructed. They had to be, they were designed for deep-sea fishing. They had to take the beating of the ocean, trip after trip, and bring their crews safely back to land.
Early boats of the Jersey Design began appearing after World War II. Some models appeared as early as 1946. Some builders got their start during the 1950s and 1960s. These boats were constructed of wood as the fiberglass era hadn't yet arrived. It is a testament to the quality of these wooden boats, built in the 1950s and 60s, that many are still in use today in the 21st century. These are not restorations but working boats that have been maintained and passed on. Their hulls planked in mahogany, oak or other woods still hold fast against the sea. New Jersey today has boatyards that specialize in wooden boat maintenance.
After 1970 most boat construction turned quickly to the new fiberglass. The early fiberglass models had the hull shape of their wooden ancestors, sometimes cast in molds cast on old wooden hulls. But hull design was already advancing and pushing the limits of wooden plank construction. In a sense, fiberglass came along just in time - and the Jersey Boat designers were waiting for it. Continuous hull form improvements can be noted from 1970 to the present as designers sought smoother, faster, more efficient hull forms.
Early fiberglass boats were made of solid, hand laid-up fiberglass. Many had plenty of fiberglass to ensure the integrity of the hull. Decks were constructed in the same solid fiberglass style. Some cabins and flybridges continued to be made of wood for a short period, but would soon change to fiberglass as well.
The laminated core techniques were not long in coming and were adopted by most, but not all builders. Cored fiberglass construction offered reduced weight, increased strength and noise reduction. Cores appeared in the late 70s and became popular in the 1980s. They were used in the upper hull areas, above the water line, and in the forward deck areas.
In the late 1980s boat builders were starting to invest in computerized processes - first for design and later for construction. Today computerized processes are common at most builders, allowing more complex designs and better fit of components - all on a faster schedule.