Timber for keel and stem

[Rum_Pirate]

What type of lumber should I use for the keel and stem of my Penobscot 17 project?

The timber will be encapsulated in epoxy (West?).

 

[Captain Coochie]

Should tell you in the specifications you got with the drawings .

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Nope.

It just specifies lumber and gives size, although elsewhere it says Spruce, Douglas Fir, and Ash are suitable.

But I want to know which is the best.

 

[srp]

Spruce would be ok, also douglas fir (which will be a bit heavier) or English oak (heavier still but very durable). Don't use ash - it will go black and rotten very quickly, even (or maybe especially) if it encapsulated. The epoxy is bound to get damaged on the keel and stem, letting moisture in which then can't escape. For this reason alone my choice would be oak, English and fresh-sawn, not kiln-dried.

 

[Peterduck]

Are there any local boatbuilders who you can ask what they use? There are some excellent timbers which would be available in Venezuela or Puerto Rico but are not heard of here. Go for the local stuff. You are looking for a hardwood, preferably, to withstand the abrasion of being pulled up on a beach. Are there any local businesses involved in reclaiming timbers from demolished houses? Recycled timber often has a quality that is not seen in recently cut timber [freedom from defects, straight grain, etc]. It will pay to ask around; even a local house-builder will have some good suggestions, I'm sure.
Peter.

 

[JREdginton]

Utile, Iroko even Pitch Pine. Find a wreck and rip out the timber you need, odds are it will be a recognised hardwoord and if it has survived will certainly be durable. I saw so many half dead timber vessels last time I was trolling around that way I could have built a small armada /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif