As far as I know, the great oak went to a ship building yard for the engilsh navy, it went to build warships not pleasure boats. Thats the story I've always heard.The oak forests of Ireland were a principle source of good oak timber for the shipyards of England, and consequently thousands upon thousands of the huge trees were cut down and taken to places like Pourtsmouth and Bristol for that purpose. Not that Englands woods were left alone- far from it, they lost huge tracts of oak woodland too.
I grew up on the North Antrim coast, and still live there most of the time, and some of the folks still talk about it with sadness,even though it happened long ago.
The conservation trust has only started rectifying the damage within the last 40 years or so.