bowsprit

[amadon light]

well the rotten piece is off WHAT A PAIN IN THE BACK hope it goes easer when the new one is reinstalled advice to others SERIOUSLY consider paying the yard if you can the adheisive was UNREAL an the SQUEEZZZE in that chain locker to deal with the fastners will try ones religion and drive one to drink/alot but alas thats behind me now rebuild of the woody parts starts tommorow will report how that goes at a later date time to mix another stiff one and relax for now

 

[EGregerson]

the joy of boating

...to reward one self with a cool one after a grueling day.

 

[Emerald]

bowsprit? You're working on an Independence 31? - can't tell from your post.

Make sure you reinstall the backing plate, and if you don't have one, make one - you should have a large one several feet long and appropriately wide. Don't forget to pay close attention to the bobstay, especially the swage at the water line (mine was cracking).

Have you chosen your wood yet? I'm preparing to build a new bowsprit and will probably use douglas fir.

 

[amadon light]

Bow sprit i 31

well its built hope to install 2morrow trying to post pics i used hond/mohog hope weight is not a factor /went for the long haul at the added expence of price and weight BUT IT LOOKS NICE HUH hope it fits

 

[amadon light]

pics

View attachment 5601 i hope this is it

 

[Emerald]

Looks nice, but I must say it is odd that they installed the light switches in the floor of your house....

I've been thinking about wood densities as well since I'm about to rebuild Emerald's bowsprit. I figure the bowsprit is about 1.5 cubic feet, and have been looking at Douglas Fir versus Black Locust with these numbers:

Black Locust 43 Lbs /ft3

Douglas Fir 33 Lbs ft/3

and figure the increased weight of the locust was negligible. Not sure how the Honduras Mahogany compares, but I bet you're OK given the dimensions. Teak isn't exactly light, and that's another option.

 

[PDX]

Black locust?

Around here people use doug fir for bowsprits. Some woodworkers like locust for its strength and hardness but I haven't heard of people using it for marine applications. But then this is doug fir country. Is locust commonly used for marine applications on the eastern seaboard? How are its dimensional stability and rot resistance? Assuming you use locust, will you varnish it or paint it?

You mentioned teak. I think its weight is in the 40s. But I think locust is stronger. And cheaper. But then, what isn't?

 

[Glyn Judson]

Preventing dry rot in an E31 bowsprit.

Loyd and all, The weak link in our six foot long bowsprits is dry rot emanating from between the laminates about half way back. My theory (and I'm pretty sure I'm on the mark here) is that fresh water in the form of dew and garden hoses, etc, makes its way down the headstay and pools in the top of the Kranze iron http://www.porttownsendfoundry.com/kranze.htm where it seeps past the screws and into the wood laminates. Gravity and capillary action moves the moisture aft and the rot begins. The trick is to bed the iron well, especially the screws to prevent the above. My sprit was rotted too and I chose to use five laminates of teak and epoxy glue as a hedge to preventing the dry rot problem. Fourteen years later, all's well, knock on wood. ; - ) Interestingly, most E31 owners have opted for teak as a replacement although some have used a variety of other woods. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA

 

[Emerald]

Hi,

First, I must make the disclaimer that I'm not the wood expert in the "family", but I have a good friend who makes his living working iwth wood. So, as we're tackling this project together, he suggested black locust. It apparently has a long history of use in boat building and is used in in structural areas like frames and stems. It has very good dimensional stability, and it has outstanding rot resistance - like stick it in the ground for 100 years and it won't rot. It doesn't bend well, so it isn't apt to be used for planking. One of the neat classic marine uses of it is in whale boats in the Azores - these are pretty cool sail powered craft - scroll down for pics of the boats under construction:

http://www.watersideworkshops.org/pages/our-programs/boat-program/azorean-whaleboat.php

So, as we have been looking at different woods, this came to the top of the list for it's strength, rot resistance (big attraction to this), and aesthetics - it would be varnished. A couple pictures of the same block attached as a sample of what black locust can look like.

 

[PDX]

locust

It varnishes really nice--way nicer than doug fir.

I've been looking for a teak substitute. I don't like mahogony for exterior use. Two others that are often mentioned, cumaru and ipe, are rot resistant and way stronger than teak but also way heavier. I'm surprised I haven't seen locust mentioned. I wonder if it would bend OK with steam or if that does something adverse to the wood?

Anyway, thanks for the info.

 

[amadon light]

bow sprit

the rotten one i removed was 5 piece lam. so i lammed 2 pieces 8/4 to yield 4 inch total prior to plainer work with just the one joint plan to encap total with resin( clear natural ) hope lessen the rot areas in the lesser glue joints you see .if not its a 400.00 learning exp as well as the joinery practice !!!