Caledonia Yawl Backbone & Structure

[Venchka]

Norm,

I respect your opinions and figure you have forgotten more about boat building than I will ever know. While OLD, I am no philospher.

The quotes I have so far for my boat include the following for structural wood: Ash, Douglas-fir, Osage Orange, White Oak and maybe Black Locust. Temper that with the fact that the builder whose work I can afford has access to douglas-fir, white oak (fresh from the sawmill), ash and walnut. Given those choices, my limited experience and research points to walnut as having the best combination of qualities-availablity, rot resistance, ease of working, gluing and cost.

I welcome your thoughts and suggestions for an alternative to the walnut.

Wayne

[Noah]

I'm no Norm, but I would say that you want the white oak. The thing is, you don't really want it fresh from the saw mill, you want it seasoned. "Green" wood has less rot resistance than does well seasoned wood, and I believe this to be true for white oak.

As a second choice, I would go with Black Locust. I think that is the wood that I will use to rebuild the keel in my Nordic Folkboat.

Noah

[ken mcclure]

Black Locust and Osage Orange would have better rot resistance than the Walnut.

[NormMessinger]

I hope your were addressing Norm-the-younger 'cause I don't mind spouting off but I don't want to be taken as gospel on much of anything.

So... Just spouting:

What kind of glue are you planning to use? It is said epoxy does not stick well to white oak. That is why ash is the timber of choice for me, in my situatuion, i.e. available and less expensive than other hard woods.

Ash is not very rot resistant but what can I say? Okoume is far less resistant. How much a factor is rot resistance to you anyway. Is the boat going to live in the water and be neglected?

I've only once seen black locust in the local hardwood stores (2). The price was okay but the quantity and size was small so I have not factored it into my thinking. It should be okay, maybe just great.

Osage Orange is expensive but beautiful. It'd be the wood of choice though if you plan to burry your boat in the ground.

I don't know. If walnut were the same price around here as ash... Interesting question. I might us it and finish it bright. If the price of walnut suits you, why not?

Next opinion, please.

--Norm (the elder)

[Venchka]

Norm,

Thanks for your thoughts. I apologize for not answering sooner, but work got in the way. I hate when that happens.

Perhaps I should explain a little more. The boat (Caledonia Yawl) will live on a trailer, indoors and get wet as often as possible. I shouldn't worry too much about rot, fungus, decay, etc. except that down here in the Swamp everything rots sooner or later if not cared for. Also, I'm getting a jump on retirement. Sooner or later the boat will spend more time in the water if and when I can afford to retire. 10 years is the current projection. I would like the boat to be healthy 10 years from now.

Now, the quotes I have from builders for the backbone run the range from laminated douglas-fir or white oak to Osage Orange. Yes, the white oak will require care in gluing. The osage orange is heavy but the builder cuts his own lumber and will use laminated douglas-fir or osage orange, my call, same price.

I am beginning to see the merits of laminated douglas-fir for the inner stems and keelson. Osage orange for the outer stems, keel, skeg, deadwood, floors, rudder blade, centerboard and centercase framing. Walnut and cherry for the transverse interior pieces: partners and thwarts and centercase cap. Sidebenches from baldcypress. Cypress, Douglas-fir or osage orange (wooden ballast?) for the floorboards. The above scheme only works for one particular builder.

If I choose a different builder, it's a different wood scheme. However, my goal is to use the most durable wood in a given application in the structure of the boat.

Thanks again for helping me get my thoughts out in the open.

Wayne
Maybe a boat owner again.

[paladin]

Just my two cents in a rare serious moment....I built two boats using Osage Orange (Bois D'Arc) and although the plywood skins have been replaced...all the framing is intact and has never shown any rot. The first was a 27 Foot Thunderbird and the other a 38 foot Bruce Roberts Offshore 38. I used Resourcinol on the Thunderbird and T-88 Epoxy on the Offshore 38. I also have 4 bows in the house laminated from the same wood...recurve longbows and they works great, 45, 55 and 85 pounds draw weight and I have had one for 35 years and the other two for 25 years and the forth duplicate of the 85 pound bow I made for a friend before he passed away...

[Venchka]

paladinsfo,

That's all the endorsement I need. That lifespan will suit my purposes perfectly!

Now I must exercise restraint and not use the Osage Orange EVERYWHERE in the boat.

Thanks for your input!

Wayne