# Bowsprit replacement?



## Jolly Roger (Oct 11, 2013)

I’ve just had another wobbly thrown at me, which wasn’t on the to-do list.
I have unearthed a ton of rot in the bowsprit, about 18” long, (see picture), which I’m sure can’t be repaired. So it’s a new bowsprit to be made—from somewhere.
I’ve never replaced one before, so I ask the following:
What is the best wood to make it from, (or have it made)?
Where might I get a 10 foot x 8” square log from?
The sprit tapers to 6” square at the crance iron.
Does anyone know where I might be able to get a quote to have it made, preferably fairly local?
I’m in Titusville Florida.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

If I needed to replace an 8" (full vs nominal) square bowsprit, I would do so with a boxed heart, clear Douglas Fir, but it will be a special order since most fir 8x8's are 8" nominal (7 1/2" x 7 1/2"). 

Fir is one of the few species where clear pieces can be found in larger balks. Fir offers decent rot resistance, good strength for its weight, decent resilience, ease of working, and holds finishes very well. Fir is generally kiln dried which means fewer checks as it ages. 

A plan 'B' would be old growth long-leaf southern-yellow-pine. Long leaf (vs the currently widely available short leaf) SYP is slightly more rot prone and is hard to get, but is grown and milled in Georgia so you may be able to drive up and purchase it where it is harvested. It ends to be harder to work, will check as it cures, has a lot of pitch, and can have pitch pockets that will show up when you shape it. Building a bowsprit is pretty easy work compared producing the yards for a square topsail schooner. You just need to pick up a copy of Chapelle's 'Boat Building', the right tools, and go to work. You can rough shape this in a couple days or so. The rest is just sweat equity.


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## mikel1 (Oct 19, 2008)

Is it me or does that picture make it look like that might be three pieces laminated together?


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

mikel1 said:


> Is it me or does that picture make it look like that might be three pieces laminated together?


I think you're right and laminating means you can build out of standard lumber (4-5 2x10s) of clear Douglas Fir, for example. Also means that the taper might be more easily accomplished with standard tools rather than a deep band saw.


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## Markwesti (Jan 1, 2013)

This is not unheard of on Westsails , and yes on the westies they were laminated (seam vertical ) out of Douglas fir . The manager for Westsail corp. Bud Taplin supplies parts for us westies . He has engineered and has manufactured a SS bow sprit . Here is his contact info :
click on parts list , then select SS bow sprit . http://www.westsailparts.com/index.php


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Looking at that pic, I'm not sure you couldn't scarf in some new pieces and be fine. After all, the glues are often stronger than the wood you are gluing. I'd contact a wooden boat builder (not a carpenter) and get him to take a look. Could save yourself a ton of money.


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## Argyle38 (Oct 28, 2010)

I had to replace my bowsprit when I bought Argyle for the same reason. I searched around several sites for advice and the most consistent from the most experienced folks dealing with wooden boat parts said that old growth Douglas Fir from the pacific northwest would be the very best if you can get it. It was considered the best in terms of strength to weight, rot resistance (important for deck level spars), and softness (you want softwood rather than hardwood here, I was told, so as to bend under load without cracking, plus it's cheaper than teak or mahogany).

It turns out that it is available, there are companies licensed to harvest old growth timber that falls naturally. I eventually found a guy in Washington that could get me the wood. McClanahan Lumber, specialty lumber in Washington

The wood was shipped to a guy up in Maine that stored it in his shed for several months, letting it dry out and season. I went up there with my old sprit and he cut it to size. My sprit has a similar taper to yours. If I were you and you go with this route, have the wood shipped somewhere local to you and just have a carpenter with a band saw cut it to form.

The piece of wood was around $350 including shipping and I think I paid the guy in Maine around $200 to cut it for me. I bought an Awlgrip kit for around another $200 (still have about 1/3 of that kit left and used it for other things) to finish it and it's been great since.

So I ended up with pretty much what I was told was the best you could do for less than $1000. Single piece (not laminated) old growth D Fir, something like 28 lines per inch, cut to form, and Awlgrip coating.

By comparison, one of the local boatyards quoted me ~$3500 for a turnkey replacement, so that was the number I was comparing to.

This is how it turned out.


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## Jolly Roger (Oct 11, 2013)

Thanks Argyle: It’s at least comforting to know somebody else has had the same problem with a Down Easter. 
I too have received conflicting advice, (well given and accepted), about construction and timber types, and I’ve also considered repairing the existing sprit like Capta suggests.
As to wood; I have been advised Cypress would be better than Douglas Fir and I’m getting quotes for planks for laminating and a solid log.
I could build the thing myself if I laminated it, but there’s a big effort element for that and I don’t think I could face taking the whole thing apart—the pulpit, grating, forestays, crance iron, etc. then accurately re-drilling to replace them....(I’m 72).
It’s not as though I have nothing else to do with this old tub.
I’ve probed the area, and I’m thinking I could scarf new laminate pieces in, after I have completely killed any remaining rot spoors.
The thing is built like a brick s... house anyway, (like the rest of the boat) and it’s been like that for a number of years. I’m pretty sure I would sleep o’nights on a rough anchor, if I made a good job of the infills.
Anyway, I’m still thinking about it.
By the way, I wish I could get a pair of trailboards like Argyle's. They were missing when I bought the boat.


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## Stumble (Feb 2, 2012)

Jolly Rodger,

I really wasn't kidding, take a look at replacing the laminated wood with an aluminium box beam. A 6x6 or 8x8 isn't really that expensive, would shave a lot of weight off the bow, and could be replaced in a few days.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

With all due respect, cypress would be a poor choice for a bowsprit, at least as compared to douglas fir. Cypress has roughly 35% less strength in bending and 30% less stiffness than Douglas Fir, but more importantly, cypress tends to be a 'brittle' species as in failure happens when there is a rapid build-up of loading vs a more resilient species like fir. This is significant in a bowsprit where a wave hitting a sail can impart a very large short duration load of a sort that might fracture a brittle wood like cypress, 

I would recommend against trying to patch a bowsprit in the condition of yours where the rot is in both the tension and compression faces of the sprit. It is unlikely that you can reliably achieve even a small percentage of the strength of the original sprit. 

The aluminum sprit is a good suggestion, but to do that reliably will require marine aluminum and welding reinforcing to prevent localize failure due to crushing at the high point load locations. It certainly can be done and may be no more expensive than having someone construct a wooden sprit. 

Jeff


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

Finding and using a bandsaw for this sort of project is more difficult than renting a big Makita circular saw.for a few hours Can easily cut 10" for the taper.on a squared baulk. I've used this saw on many large (18" dia) masts to 8 side before picking up the power planner. IF you are gluing up, the taper can be cut on 2 sides with a regular skill saw before gluing and just go at the other 2 with the skill saw for a 4" cut each side and hand saw the uncut middle.If you can find a hand held band saw, bobs yer unc.Ask around at post and beam builders for what they use. Fir is best. Glue is stronger and I soak ends and any holes for bolts and fittings with nasty good stuff for as long as possible before final assembly . I'm 73 and still doing this stuff with my own tools but prefer a top'sl ketch to the brigantine rig. But that's just me


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Jolly Roger said:


> I've just had another wobbly thrown at me, which wasn't on the to-do list.
> I have unearthed a ton of rot in the bowsprit, about 18" long, (see picture), which I'm sure can't be repaired. So it's a new bowsprit to be made-from somewhere.
> I've never replaced one before, so I ask the following:
> What is the best wood to make it from, (or have it made)?
> ...


Have photo of the whole thing? 3 lams is not really difficult at all. I beleive you can find Doug fir like that in full service lumber yards It's pretty common wood.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

deniseO30 said:


> Have photo of the whole thing? 3 lams is not really difficult at all. I beleive you can find Doug fir like that in full service lumber yards It's pretty common wood.


Mostly what you see in lumber yards on the east coast is Hem-Fir, an inferior wood that has a lower stress grade and is a more rot prone, plus he is talking about making 6 laminations with 2 x 10's, which would then need to get cut down to his 8" full dimension. When you think of jointing both sides of each plank, gluing and clamping up all of those pieces, that is a lot of work, and a lot of wood to buy, when you can buy actual Douglas fir balks pretty readily by special order from most traditional lumber yards.

Jeff


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Yes Jeff but the OP is in the PNW  And no I was not talking common 2x stock hemlock/fir. Some yards stock doug fir that was used for floor joists. 3 X 10 I think it is/was

Oops! op is in fla.


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

An A frame sch 40 stainless pipe bowsprit eliminates all that clutter on deck ,and eliminates whisker stays, as well as providing a good platform to work on. It also eliminates rot problems.


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

Just built an extension on my house. Clear Doug fir joists 20' by 1 1/2 x 11 1/2 At the local Rona Cheaper than particle board Ibeams. Normally for smaller boat timber like OP's (from Florida) I just walk in the woods with a swede saw (it's quiet)


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

Jeff_H said:


> Mostly what you see in lumber yards on the east coast is Hem-Fir, an inferior wood that has a lower stress grade and is a more rot prone, plus he is talking about making 6 laminations with 2 x 10's, which would then need to get cut down to his 8" full dimension. When you think of jointing both sides of each plank, gluing and clamping up all of those pieces, that is a lot of work, and a lot of wood to buy, when you can buy actual Douglas fir balks pretty readily by special order from most traditional lumber yards.
> Jeff


I suppose if someone wanted to actually use the correct wood, spar grade Sitka Spruce would be THE wood to use. However, I don't see the need in this case, unless the OP desires to varnish the spar.


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

Brent, as I well respect the modulus of robusticity of SS A frames, the esthetics of wood takes precedence here.


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## Capt Len (Oct 9, 2011)

Reading back ,my comments Spruce nowhere near as strong and pronner to rot. Faying surface of Doug fir joists already good for glue up. Paint or varnish works. Maybe some Qubeccer snow bird will drive down with 'em on his roof rack.for you.However local wood guys should have some good ideas.


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## Jolly Roger (Oct 11, 2013)

Thanks everyone for your input, but I now have a more urgent problem to contend with.
Three days ago I slipped on the boat and broke both bones in my left leg, and dislocated the ankle. I'm now in hospital with two titanium plates in my leg, thinking about other things than a bowsprit.
I'll report back some time when I eventually get it fixed.
JR.


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## mikel1 (Oct 19, 2008)

So sorry to hear that . . . Heal soon, sending positive energy in your direction!


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Jolly Roger said:


> Thanks everyone for your input, but I now have a more urgent problem to contend with.
> Three days ago I slipped on the boat and broke both bones in my left leg, and dislocated the ankle. I'm now in hospital with two titanium plates in my leg, thinking about other things than a bowsprit.
> I'll report back some time when I eventually get it fixed.
> JR.


Crap!

Sure you couldn't have just scarfed in a bit of bone?? 

Seriously, heal fast first!


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

Jolly Roger said:


> Thanks everyone for your input, but I now have a more urgent problem to contend with.
> Three days ago I slipped on the boat and broke both bones in my left leg, and dislocated the ankle. I'm now in hospital with two titanium plates in my leg, thinking about other things than a bowsprit.
> I'll report back some time when I eventually get it fixed.
> JR.


I am sorry to hear that you have been injured and only hope that you are recovered soon.

Trying to stay vaguely on topic, if you can't scarf the bone with Titanium, I think that fir would also be a good material for a peg leg if you plan to varnish it, although carbon fiber is the hot ticket if you plan to paint it. Hickory works better for crutches. :wink

Get well soon,
Jeff


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## Jolly Roger (Oct 11, 2013)

Ho, Ho, Ho! :laugh Those posts made me laugh, and as I’ve been telling the nurses, my leg only hurts when I laugh,
I’m being discharged tomorrow but can’t possibly get back on the boat, let alone work.
I’m going up to North Carolina (the dry part), for a few weeks of converlesance, then we will evaluate the situation.
At the moment I’m not very happy with boats.
JR.


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## thereefgeek (Aug 18, 2006)

Whoa, sorry to hear about the leg. That kind of thing can really put a pinch on boat projects, especially with winter right around the corner. Hope you get better soon.

I just finished rebuilding the sprit on my Tayana 37 and it was a little tricky, but not impossible. Vertical grain Doug Fir; not cheap by any means. All due respect, laminated planks are going to be stronger than solid timber and less likely to warp in the future. Solid timbers of decent quality are very expensive and difficult to come by these days. Knots are bad for wood strength. My 40 year old sprit was solid fir or spruce and had a slight warp to it and a decent amount of rot.

No matter what you use, try to minimize the use of drilled holes and bolts in the sprit as a source of future rot potential. All my through-bolt holes were sleeved with stainless tubing epoxied in place. The whole sprit received 2 coat of clear epoxy, then painted with multiple coats of Interlux 2-part epoxy primer and 2-part polyurethane paint.

The sprit has a taper on both sides and the bottom, and I did those with a SkilSaw and a straight edge clamped to the sprit, but a good deal of the shaping was done with very sharp, simple hand tools (chisels, planes, spoke shave, etc.).


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## Jolly Roger (Oct 11, 2013)

Hi Rich,
Thanks for your advice and photographs. You have made a superb job of the new bowsprit which I looked at on your website. 
And thanks everyone for the commiserations. I’m writing this sitting up in bed with my laptop perched on my knees. It sure has put a wrench in the works, regarding our plans, after a nearly five year refit. I alternate between bloody-minded determination to finish it and go cruising early next year, or take the easy way out and sell the damn boat!!
At least I now have plenty of time to think about how to fix the sprit.
The first thing I’m going to do when I can walk and get back to the boat, probably another three/five weeks, is gouge out all the rest of the rotten wood.
My bowsprit is laminated with nine pieces, approximately 2.8” square, to form an 8” square. 
The outside Stbd three of these are totally rotted for about 12” long.
The inner pieces are rotted only two laminations deep, about 17” long. The bottom piece still being sound.
The Port side only has a 6” wide hole in it, not going all the way through.
As a first venture to repair it I propose:
1.	Fill the inner hole with glassfibre matting and resin, then smooth it level with the middle laminate.
2.	Chase back the middle laminate, at about a 45 degree scarf both ends into good wood.
3.	The same for the outside laminate.
4.	Remove three exposed half inch studs which went through the bad wood and the deck.
5.	Order some straight grained Douglas Fir planks, (which I have already located from a friendly wood yard here in North Carolina), the thickness and length of the cut-outs.
6.	Shape the planks to wedge down into the cut-outs and glue and screw each in place downwards and sideways.
7.	Re-sink the three bolts through the top of the sprit into the deck, also four holes for the windlass bolts, which also go through the deck. 
8.	Sleeve all these with stainless tube soaked with epoxy to try to get a waterproof sleeve, and allow the through bolts to pass through the wood.
9.	Plane and shape the infill pieces to blend in with the existing sprit and paint them with two-pot polly’, the same as the sprit.

All this I think I can do, even with a bad leg, because it is pretty much a sitting down job. I’m pretty sure, if I do a careful job of this, it will be stronger than the original. Especially how it must have been for at least the past few years of rot.
It obviates the massive job of removing the pulpit, twin gratings, anchor rollers, crance iron, two forestays, bobstay and bowsprit shrouds, and the heavy bowsprit, (which is still secured with half a dozen through bolts I can’t even find, including four through the heavy Sampson post). 
Failing all this, I can have a completely new sprit made of solid straight grained Douglas Fir, but it is costly and requires all the above equipment removed, then painted and re-installed on the boat which is in the water. None of which I think I could do, even without my injury. So there would be helpers labor as well.


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## Jolly Roger (Oct 11, 2013)

Time and tide wait for now man, and they certainly haven't waited for my leg to get better, or the bowsprit to be repaired. 
It's been four months since I wrote my last post and it's interesting to see what has actually been done during that time.
I have just posted an article on my website, Schooner Britannia, renovation of a Brigantine Schooner which explains the total process I went through to get to the final assembly last week.
Thanks for everyone's participation and I hope it might help anyone else who finds themselves with the same problem. 
My leg is also now almost better and I can walk nearly normally. It's a pity someone can't build a boat which repairs itself pretty much on its own, like the human body.
JR


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