Response to comment

DaveP, thanks a TON for your comments regarding bamboo and the construction method of your iakos. Extremely helpful. Since I've got plenty of time to wait, I'm planning on doing some tests on the particular type of bamboo that I'm planning on using here. I'll do one piece with fire, I'll leave one bare, I'll clean one with acetone before varnishing, and I'll sand and varnish another piece. I'll try to do that soon. When they're done, I'll leave them out in the rain and sun to see what happens to them over the next half year or so.

I'm planning on having my stub mast made out of wood and my luff spar and boom out of bamboo. I do have the option to use solid wood spars all around. There are tons of spindly, strong, lightweight woods around here that are straight as an arrow. The Mibu people harvest them all the time to make their ridge poles in their huts. However, I think the type of bamboo I'm looking at surpasses in both strength and lightness of weight. I also like the look. I just don't want to mess with having to custom make the step for the fixed mast should the bamboo ever have to be replaced. I'm thinking I want to make sure the mast only ever has to be done once.

The more I go along, the more I'm thinking how much I like the idea of making the hollow box frame iakos. I'd love to see a picture of what you've done. If you can manage to get a pic and message under 80kb email me a pic sometime. geoff_husa(at)ntmdotorg. The size restriction is because I  pull all my emails over HF radio. It's SLOW and quite limited.

(You'll have to pardon my method of responding here. No internet from out here in the bush. But I can generate new posts via email. So welcome to my way of responding to comments!)