Posts:2493 Joined: May 15th, 2011, 5:10 am
Location: NE Tasmania
Yeah, I had a look into it, decided to have the inner and outer layers fore-aft and the center layer diagonal. Good compromise between simplicity and strength IMO.
Point of Order - I thought a Ketch was two-masted with a mainmast taller than her mizzen. Am I out of date with my definition or is this actually a sloop of some sort?
Posts:2493 Joined: May 15th, 2011, 5:10 am
Location: NE Tasmania
No, you are completely correct by standard definition, it is a cutter. However for reasons unknown, a cutter in my family's vocabulary is a long boat with a sailing rig, ketch has either 1 or 2 masts and is just larger than most trailer-sailers, again I don't know why but yes it is a cutter by standard definition
Posts:2493 Joined: May 15th, 2011, 5:10 am
Location: NE Tasmania
Nothing much to report, yesterday went to what I'm certain is the last steam-bending factory in Aus to see the process and the tools involved. Some impressive devices that were brought from Sweden in 1887, mostly hand driven machinery with great big gears like cartwheels and long timber levers!
Still it was a great visit and reaffirmed my view that Spotted gum was an ideal choice of timber, especially seeing the timbers that had failed upon bending, like a length of Radiata which had collapsed on the interior curve to the point of complete structural breakage despite only a small degree of curvature.