Peter Clinch wrote:
> That's a serious point: it's often thought that the reason it isn't used as much in many things
> these days (canoes, skis, for example) is it's inferior for the job if used properly, where
> it's actually the case that in many cases if it's done well it's a superb material, very strong
> and light.
Very true. My old sailing teacher had a yacht he built himself, cold moulded wooden hull. He was
rammed by a mad Frenchman in the channel; the Frenchman's plastic boat went down like a stone but
Bruce was able to make harbour in his wooden wonder.
And talking of wooden wonders, the Mosquito was made of wood as well. You could load up a Mossie
with 4,000lb and a crew of two, fly to Germany, drop said bomb, fly back, rearm and refuel and do
the round trip again in less time (and with less fuel) than a Stirling with a crew of seven could do
the trip. Not very PC, but a bloody good aeroplane.
And there was a bloke at the Rickmansworth Aquadrome who built a Flying Fifteen with a cold-moulded
hull (it looked like teak). That was one beautiful boat. He carved a spinnaker chute out of solid
mahogany, as I recall. Mmmmmm - Nice!
Good stuff, wood. Unfortunately most of the timber you can buy retail in the UK is evidently shipped
as deck cargo on a submarine :-(
--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.
http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#103 http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#104