WN,
Notice in your bio, you live in the Falkland Islands.
What kind of indigenous woods do you have down there? With foggy memory, I seem to recall the Islands are more of a barren sparse land of rock and brush. If this is the case, do you have to import all your wood? A very costly process?
Thanks
BB
Replies
Hi BB
I am not a native of these fair lands, just here under contract with my wife, teaching at the very southern tip of the Eastern Island, in a very remote settlement. Normally I reside in Australia.
This bottom third of the Islands is very flat, highest point I think, about 190 ft above sea level and the soil type is mostly peat. We're in the path of the Roaring Forties so it's always very windy.(as well as cold av. annual temp five degrees c.) This is not conducive to any plant growing a decent size at all. Also the fact that there are no bees doesn't help propagation. The only trees are imported, slow growing and very hardy as well as few on the ground.
Believe it or not there are some palm trees growing on a remote island called New Island. Most of the main vegetation is or was tussoc grass and grows to about 10 ft. mostly eaten out on the main islands by cattle and sheep. All our timber is imported, mostly pine, and mostly from the UK. And you are right is is horrendously expensive. There is a hardwood??? imported from Chile called Sandy Point, and it is used mainly for fencing ie gates posts etc apparently it is reasonably durable in the ground.
We get a huge amount of driftwood down this end and there is a pretty amazing selection of stuff from around the world, washed up. Watch out for the hardware when you plane it though.
Have managed to get some salvage from some of the many wrecks that abound around her. Don't have a clue what it is and only small pieces so its small stuff out of it, jewelery boxes etc. Tool situation is a bit sad too. Very expensive locally and expensive to import. Range is limited as well. Sure miss my workshop back home.
That is about the size of it down here.
wot
Wot,
That's good info. I guess you want to get home to your own sources:)
You may have come across many great woods in the wrecks. Many times, the ribs were made of stout hardwoods with the planks being mahogany or "Port Orford" type cedar. Both good for salvage.
Here on the Oregon coast we have mucho driftwood. Major maples and some walnuts, cedars and spruce. Full logs but if you don't get them that day, they will be gone the next. The ocean takes them back. We also get big wash ups from ships out of South America that were either cargo loaded on very,very expensive hardwood pallets or shipments of the wood itself. Most people wouldn't believe the quality and types of wood that are cut, just for pallet or crating. 16/4 or 20/4 16' x 8-16' stuff. A recent find (not by me) was about 2500'of Mahogany and Rosewood timbers about 200 miles south of me. Not often but enough to keep you eye out after a storm. More ships go down every year than you would suppose.
Wonder if it is the same down there.
Thanks for the feedback.BB
BBI should add that I think the wrecks are protected and left to disintegrate. You have to keep an eye on them and when the timber floats away, go for it. Most of the older wrecks are mostly gone now. Most of them are from pre Panama Canal days and victims of damage from a rough passage around the Horn. Falkland Islands were the first port of call where any effective repairs could be made.Most of the wrecks were the ones that didn't quite make it. There are quite a few from the '82 conflict that are war graves.On reflecting BB, you have inspired me to try a book on 'Trees of the Falkland Islands'. I envisage a book of about 10 pages, 2 for the covers, 1 for publishing details, 1 forward (could you write that?) an index, 1 for dedications, a page for the authors biography, 2 blank for notes and the other (2 lines anyway)for the material. If I used thick cardboard for the covers I could make it a coffee table book. I wonder if Taunton press would be interested in publishing? I'll send you a signed copy any way. ( just send me a check for $127,59 for postage and handling...)wotI started out with nothing...and I still have most of it left!
Wot,
I think I'll wait to see the press proof before I send a check.Definitely a market for it.BB
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