Making New Bowsprit

[Russ L]

Hi Bill,
I had a Southern Cross sloop, ex ketch (T. Gilmore - 32 ft) with a bowsprit made of teak. The main member was a good chunk of timber but the beauty of the thing was multiple & spaced laminations to each side, similar to a grating, which took the load instead of whisker stays. Caution though, this sprit is short, maybe 4 feet. It survived a circumnavigation but got a little crunched in a Marquesas anchorage, the second time through.
However, I believe the best bowsprit for you will be good o' douglas Fir... And I mean old, as in old growth. Don't get any of that second growth crap, the rings are too far apart. I would use epoxy in the holes, under the hardware and on the bottom, for water protection, and varnish the top & sides. When the colour mellows it will look great.
Cheers, Russ L