Douglas Fir Spars?

[johngsandusky]

My 1968 ketch has box section wood spars, painted. The paint wore off where a block chafed it. The wood underneath is reddish brown. Old doug fir? Not spruce I think. It feels pretty hard. Fresh wood is lighter.

[pcford]

My 1968 ketch has box section wood spars, painted. The paint wore off where a block chafed it. The wood underneath is reddish brown. Old doug fir? Not spruce I think. It feels pretty hard. Fresh wood is lighter.

fir is sometimes used for spruce...somewhat heavier...but holds fasteners better.

[sisu1959]

where was the boat built? this would probably give you a better idea of what wood was used. up in the northwest they use doug fir all the time for spar construction. less so on the east coast (but not unheard of).

[johngsandusky]

Built in Florida. Hull is juniper on LLYP. Doug fir is the only thing that comes to mind. I know good stuff is often used for spars. I'm not sure I've seen any dark brown though. On the other hand, plenty of woods turn brown over time if protected from sun and weather.

[esingleman]

Have a photo? the growth rings are usually very distinguishable on DF.

[David G]

Yes, doug fir is quite photo-chemically reactive. Can get pretty brown from UV exposure. So, if your stick was varnished for some years before it was painted, I can imagine it being douglas fir (known to the rest of the world as Oregon Pine). Being in the opposite corner from you, I have no idea how common it is/was to get doug fir down there. But yes, it's entirely plausible, as it is a good spar species. Do the scantlings seem a bit slight to you? Because doug fir is both stronger and heavier than sitka spruce, a savvy spar builder sometimes knows that he can reduce the scantlings in in order to reduce the added weight aloft - compared to a spruce stick - while retaining the same, or greater, overall strength and toughness.

Cheers,