About Crownline

Tour Crownline Boats

Wood Plug Crafting

A boat’s finish and design are only as good as the
molds that form them. And those molds are only as good as the wood plugs from which they come.

Many boat builders cut corners by using composite materials for their plugs instead of wood. Or they use a process called splashing to eliminate the plug altogether.

The builders at Crownline believe that the only way to ensure a perfect design representation and flawless finish is to use traditional wooden plugs, even though using them is considerably more expensive than other methods.

Crownline has over 40 years of experience in our plug design team. Since the inception of Crownline, our master craftsmen have built our wood plugs, setting the standards for design and finish in the boating industry.

After the initial plug arrives at the plant, it is the job of Crownline’s Research and Development department to create the finished plug.

The plug is considered finished when all rough edges are smooth, curves and detail lines applied, and exact scale measurements are in place. To achieve this detailed, full-scale plug, tooling gel is applied to the initial plug and sanded to a mirrored finish.

Next, the first mold off the finished plug is made. Measurements are checked. All surfaces and detail lines are checked, and the mold surface is given a final quality audit.

After all design and quality criteria have been approved by top management, the glass master is made. It is from this master that all molds used in production will be generated.