Re:Wood for Birdmouth spars
*From today's Sailing Anarchy <http://www.sailinganarchy.com/>
Major Wood*
/Here is the follow-up to the Lotta Wood story we did last week. Amazing
technology that is all but forgotten. Enjoy./
<http://www.sailinganarchy.com/fringe/2006/images/cambria.jpg>I had
built the sawmill in Alaska specifically for long length Sitka Spruce
<http://www.sitkaspruce.nl/> for mast and spars for classic yachts. For
Cambria the Sitka Spruce logs were specially selected as it was required
to have 40 ft long clear aircraft grade lumber. They were vacuum dried
on site in Alaska, the spruce was then towed down on a barge to Seattle,
traveled by train to New York and shipped across the Atlantic from
there. In Holland TNO Delft, the institute for applied scientific
research was involved in testing the individual boards using advanced
stress wave technology and finally the best of the best were selected.
The quality of the top boards was so amazing that we named the
individual boards for Cambria; Beyoncé, Tyra, Brigitte, Anna, Diana and
so on…
<http://www.sailinganarchy.com/fringe/2006/images/sitka%20spruce.jpg>The
12 metre long boards were then shipped to la Ciotat, France where Alex
Laird of Classic Works <http://www.classicworks.fr/> had a group of
dedicated craftsman lined up to take on the challenge to build this
immense spar. Following authentic designs, the lay-out of the spar was
made by Aurilien Lebas, the yard’s naval architect. 50 metre long press
table was built and over 200 special clamps were manufactured for the
job. First the 12 metre long pieces had to be scarfed up to almost 50
metre length which required 192 scarf joints. The enormous boards were
then planed with thickness and width. The mast is constructed hollow and
so each piece had to be laminated in to a huge box configuration,
consuming some 320kg of glue. The new spreaders where made in quarter
sawn ash, the longest spreaders over 3 metre in length. Cambria’s
Australian captain, Chris Barkham was closely involved in every step of
the project. The passion and dedication to Cambria bonded the team and
resulted in a really special spar for what is arguably the most
beautiful large sloop in the world.
The mast will be stepped in about 6 weeks and will give your readers an
update then should you wish.
Best,
John Lamments
LVB Wood Processing
03/28/06
Major Wood*
/Here is the follow-up to the Lotta Wood story we did last week. Amazing
technology that is all but forgotten. Enjoy./
<http://www.sailinganarchy.com/fringe/2006/images/cambria.jpg>I had
built the sawmill in Alaska specifically for long length Sitka Spruce
<http://www.sitkaspruce.nl/> for mast and spars for classic yachts. For
Cambria the Sitka Spruce logs were specially selected as it was required
to have 40 ft long clear aircraft grade lumber. They were vacuum dried
on site in Alaska, the spruce was then towed down on a barge to Seattle,
traveled by train to New York and shipped across the Atlantic from
there. In Holland TNO Delft, the institute for applied scientific
research was involved in testing the individual boards using advanced
stress wave technology and finally the best of the best were selected.
The quality of the top boards was so amazing that we named the
individual boards for Cambria; Beyoncé, Tyra, Brigitte, Anna, Diana and
so on…
<http://www.sailinganarchy.com/fringe/2006/images/sitka%20spruce.jpg>The
12 metre long boards were then shipped to la Ciotat, France where Alex
Laird of Classic Works <http://www.classicworks.fr/> had a group of
dedicated craftsman lined up to take on the challenge to build this
immense spar. Following authentic designs, the lay-out of the spar was
made by Aurilien Lebas, the yard’s naval architect. 50 metre long press
table was built and over 200 special clamps were manufactured for the
job. First the 12 metre long pieces had to be scarfed up to almost 50
metre length which required 192 scarf joints. The enormous boards were
then planed with thickness and width. The mast is constructed hollow and
so each piece had to be laminated in to a huge box configuration,
consuming some 320kg of glue. The new spreaders where made in quarter
sawn ash, the longest spreaders over 3 metre in length. Cambria’s
Australian captain, Chris Barkham was closely involved in every step of
the project. The passion and dedication to Cambria bonded the team and
resulted in a really special spar for what is arguably the most
beautiful large sloop in the world.
The mast will be stepped in about 6 weeks and will give your readers an
update then should you wish.
Best,
John Lamments
LVB Wood Processing
03/28/06