White oak for bowsprit?

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White oak for bowsprit?

Postby wmewheel on Mon Jun 15, 2020 8:32 am

Any opinions on using white oak for the bowsprit?
I have a bunch of clear slabs. I cut them last fall but if I rough cut a piece I can dry it enough for this pretty quickly.
I know it’s somewhat heavier than Douglas fir but I think it will look a lot better
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Re: White oak for bowsprit?

Postby craig on Tue Jun 16, 2020 12:37 pm

It would be much stronger than the stock bowsprit, but also much, much heavier. The extra strength isn't needed, but so extra weight high up on the boat isn't desirable from a sailing performance perspective, so I'd really question whether the tradeoff is worth it. But hey, your boat, so you should do whatever makes you happy.

For that matter, if you don't like the yellowish color of doug fir, you could use basically anything else. I used 2x4 "whitewood" (spruce, pine, fir) that didn't have any knots.
Titania, launched January 2015
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Re: White oak for bowsprit?

Postby Bflat on Mon Jul 13, 2020 7:03 am

I think oak for the bowsprit (or other spar) would look weird, kind of like seeing an english saddle at a rodeo. Softwoods are the way to go with spars, both for function and by tradition.
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