8/20/22

  It can probably be built out of almost anything - it's mostly a matter of balancing longevity and expense.

  I recently re-built the sprit on our Baba 35.  The original was made of laminated mahogany and teak - the teak was still pristine, but some of the layers of mahogany usually where bolts penetrated) had turned to soft spongy dough I could pick out with a screwdriver.

  I ended up removing all the hardware, digging out the internal cross-bolts, breaking it apart on the rotten layers, planing out the bad wood, then gluing/clamping it back together with new layers of mahogany.  It took a few months working on it after kids had gone to be, but was quite a fun woodworking project.  End result looks great, and it's kept a a nice patina of years of dings and stains on the original wood that I kept.

  I talked to Bob Perry when I did it - he suggested that Doug Fir or Sitka Spruce would be good options - they're a lot lighter weight than the teak/mahogany originals, and have excellent strength-to-weight ratios.  You'd probably want to stain them to keep the original look, they're a lot lighter in color.  The physical dimensions of the sprit are massively oversized, so strength is not really much of a concern, regardless of the wood you choose.  Remember that it's primarily in compression against the samson post from the rigging pulling it backward.

  The key to a long-lived repair/replacement is either choosing a good rot-resistant species, or paying extra close attention to sealing/varnishing any bolts/screws.  Bob also recommended ensuring that the sprit was elevated from the deck by 1/2" to ensure drainage/airflow on the underside.  I've also seen people drill out bolt through-holes oversize and line them with G4 tubes to help prevent those being a point where rot can start.  I have not done that yet, as I haven't re-mounted the windlass or staysail tang.  I'm considering fabricating brackets that wrap the sprit for those, instead of through-bolting them, precisely to avoid water penetration and rot issues.  There are some good photos in the mailing list archives of others who have made improved mounting brackets for things like windlass'.

  Attached are a bunch of pics, as I'm quite proud of how it came out.

daniel