My wife, Annie, liked that!
Seabiscuit’s boom was cut from a leftover piece of 2 x 8 Douglas fir — trimmed to dimension, sanded, marked for the rigging hardware, and edges rounded over.
Waiting for the kit’s arrival — I’ll next cut the parts requiring 3/4” stock. I like yellow pine that builders use for stair case “risers.” They come in long lengths up to 16 footers. All of it straight grained and nearly all clear — the few knots are tight and small. It has to be [clear] because wooden residential stairs are never painted — they’re finished natural with varnish, like ladders. If you ask sales people [at builders supply] for yellow pine, they’re likely to say “Don’t have any.” Then ask for stair riser stock — and check it out.