Timber stockpiles, hull life, and fleet size

Seasoning timber for hundreds of ships adds a substantial cost before construction begins. A five-year seasoning cycle means buying wood five years ahead and maintaining the corresponding stockpile. That investment brings little return if collision damage forces a vessel to be rebuilt before its timber wears out. Britain's smaller productive scale and predominantly open-water operations made longer hull life more valuable. In the comparison, doubling hull life could double the fleet available from the same annual timber supply and construction output.