Cutting a new mast

[Pearson21]

I have a big spruce tree that could yield a mast up to sixty feet tall, overall length. The base of this tree is about 44 inches across. I must cut down this tree.
I know nothing of masts and their materials. Is there a standard or popular profile for pine masts?
For large masts, is there a preferred hardwood, or is pine chosen for less weight?
What is its financial value? What can I sell it for, delivered to the US/Canada east coast?

 

[Dave Groshong]

Spruce is the preferred wood for spars, sometimes vertical grain Doug Fir. I have no idea of the value.

 

[Justin_NSA]

my father-in-law on Long Island had a large cherry tree that came down. He wanted to sell it for lumber but there were no mills nearby. He ended up using it for firewood.

 

[Pearson21]

I have seen a lathe built by a shipwright in Vermont to turn a pine mast about 16 feet long. I intend to get some engineering students involved for class credit

 

[shemandr]

This is above my pay grade but I think modern wood masts are generally made from strips of spruce glued together to make the mast a reasonable weight. The OffCenterHarbor website has a video of the process for a much smaller mast. It's pretty involved.
I would think that if you can find a saw mill the planks would be worth more than the tree as a log. I know a local wooden boat builder and I know he buys wood from where ever he can get what he needs. Transportation cost is just part of his cost structure.

 

[uralite]

Woodenboat forum. If you pm me with type of spruce, length, location and contact info, I can list it on that forum. People always looking for good material.

 

[Pearson21]

Lamination solve a lot of problems of distortion and warping.
A purist would lash two hewn logs together for a clipper ship but there are few around.

 

[markwbird]

You're a schemer. I like that. I think your plan would be more viable if it were 1850. In 2018 even wooden masts are laminate. Maybe for a classic wooden ship.

 

[Pearson21]

The tree has to come down so it was not much from the scheming end. I would have provided a standard profile wooden mast if there were a need. I had a new approach to milling the profile.
I bow to lamination tech.

 

[justsomeguy]

A purist would lash two hewn logs together for a clipper ship but there are few around.

This is a wonderfully imprecise statement! Few purists, hewn logs or clipper ships around?