Renewing Old Ironsides, with help from an Indiana forest
Rhett Steele lopes through the dense Indiana forest, oblivious of the ironweed and paw-paws and briars that grab at his legs. He and fellow forester Rob McGriff stop at their goal: Tree No. 4.
“Good white oak,” Mr. Steele says of the tree, marked with baby blue paint. “Got the right diameter” – he squints at it with an expert eye – “36 inches. Plenty high. Got a knot up on that side, but on the other side you can go 60 feet without a defect. Got a slight sweep to it – they can bend it to fit a hull.”
The century-old tree will be perfect for the hull of a famous ship 1,000
