If we lived in a world like John Lennon's Imagine would it be possible to produce a windsurfer and sails from natural replenishable resources in a non polluting way? Serious question guys.
Susie

Bamboo and banana leaves?

Renewable meaning "grows on trees" rather than "is refined from naturally decomposed vegetable matter that's been compressed under the ground for a long time"?

Making a decent 'glue' would be the trick - it would be possible to make a wooden board from laminated balsa or cedar that should be pretty light, but how to stick it together and seal it using a renewable glue or finish?

I guess we could boil up some old horses?

Plenty of naturally occuring fibres around - spiderweb for example puts carbon fibre and kevlar to shame, but we might have to give up our sail windows which would make wave sailing interesting!

Someone is bound to be upset by the boiling of the horses, or the 'battery spider farms' that would be required to make it work. Cruelty to insects and all that..

John Lennon's world is practical only when sitting on a beach watching the sunset while surrounded by a lazy haze of pot smoke... And I suspect that you have to wear coloured glasses to get the full effect.

If ony we could take all the carbon everyones producing and turn it into masts, booms, boards etc...would make gear cheaper and solve environmental issues...

(in case anyone thinks I'm serious...)

Susie
Great to hear that you are back from the snow. I love the music of John Lennon, to me he and Yoko are one of the greatest love stories of all time. If only all women would stand by their man. He loved his woman and his son and they loved him how romantic.
Remember the people that love you, for in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.
"To live in a world as one with no religion no wars just love you may say that i am a dreamer"
I like his dream.
Regarding your original question, i love the latest gear, with all that carbon and polyester it has sure developed into light weight high performance gear.
But I would trade it all to live in Lennons dream!

If only John Lennon Hadn't been so Green and used a Kevlar shirt instead of a cotton one he would still be here today.

quote:

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Originally posted by elmo

If only John Lennon Hadn't been so Green and used a Kevlar shirt instead of a cotton one he would still be here today.

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if he hadn't be so full of green he may still be here today too...... no good dodging the bullet only to fry your brain with chemicals over the next coupla years

I think that a true 'green' kit is possible but would not be up to todays performace.

Boom - Teak(reycled)
mast - Renewable timber
sail - silk
ropes/lines - hemp(no don't smoke it)
board - balsa
base - might be a bit tricky
fin - glass

How you harvest the materials may not be 'green' though!

quote:

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Originally posted by DavMen

I think that a true 'green' kit is possible but would not be up to todays performace.

Boom - Teak(reycled)
mast - Renewable timber
sail - silk
ropes/lines - hemp(no don't smoke it)
board - balsa
base - might be a bit tricky
fin - glass

How you harvest the materials may not be 'green' though!

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Boom - willow/bamboo?
mast - i've seen bamboo fishing rods take a caning!!!
sail - ....got nothing!!!
ropes/lines - recycled farmer's 'baling twine' (s@#tloads of the stuff lying around!!!)
board - ....mmmmm, nup, nothing again!!!
base - might be a bit tricky (you're right!)
fin - plantation teak/ebony (bit pricey, though)