dinghy - bow sprit will it work!!!

[AlistairM]

I am looking at fitting a bowsprit to this

How would i go about this, and what do I need to consider. The boat is 12ft loa, 9ft beam clinkerbuilt.

Thanks

 

[sarabande]

altering the sail plan with a bowsprit will change the centre of effort, and over such a short couple to the centre of lateral resistance, will make the boat hard to handle with lee helm.

If it has worked OK for umpteen years, why change it ?

 

[AlistairM]

Hmm take your point. I was looking at adding some added value to it for selling purposes later on. Prehaps I will have a re think as to wether it is a good idea or not.

Thanks

 

[Romeo]

Is your idea to change from a bermudan rig to a lower sapect gaff rig?, in which case it might be possible to maintain balance, but you will need to do some sums. Doubt it will add value, if anything it will have the opposite effect, or at the very least add less value than the amount you spend on spars and new sails. Wooden boats are like that. They are not for profit.

R

 

[AlistairM]

there does appear to be more work involved for very little extra value (financial value that is) so prehaps I wont bother after all.

Is there anythng else I could potentially change or add that may affect selling price?

thanks

 

[MikeBz]

I would have thought the first step would be to identify what (class) it is (if it is one at all).

If the beam is 9ft then it's nearly a coracle

Mike

 

[DownWest]

Make some nice jaws for the end of the yard/gaff/gunter. Those don't look very seamanlike.
A

 

[Peterduck]

Yes, those gaff jaws do look a bit fragile. They are not even parallel to each other! Other than that the boat looks as though it is ready to enjoy!
Peter.

 

[Forbsie]

I could think of a nice birthday present idea.

http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/prodtype.asp?prodtype=91&ph=cat

 

[old_salt]

Is your main free footed?
Then a suggestion may be a boom we did it on a Drascome and it improved her handling and speed no end in good conditions.
The best bit it's an easy add on so you can put her back to original at any time even ship it under way if it's all set up right.

 

[MikeBz]

Is your main free footed?

There appears to be a gooseneck fitting on a slider... on the port side of the mast... so my guess is that the mast needs rotating 90 deg anti-clockwise...

Mike

 

[AlistairM]

There is already a boom in the boat I just hadnt rigged it when I took the pics, as it was just about to rain!

And yes well spotted with the mast, again it was really just stuck up quickly to tidy up the rigging (it was all twisted together) and get a few pics done.

I belive its a lug sail rather than a gaff as the yard (i think thats what its called) is vertical when fully raised.

Thanks for all the replies, I think I will probably leave it as it is.

Oh and as for the class ------- well I have searched high and low and all other ways to find out to no avail so any suggestions welcomed, I can tell you its not

National 12, Tideway, Twinkle, and has no Id plate or anything to distinguish.

Thanks

 

[MikeBz]

Since there are jaws on the gaff it will be either a gaff or a gunter rig. If the gaff is vertical (or damn near - not sure how you define the crossover between a high-peaked gaff rig and a gunter rig) it's a gunter rig. Gunter is one of those words that the more times you type it or say it the sillier it seems...

Mike

 

[dur]

I belive its a lug sail rather than a gaff as the yard (i think thats what its called) is vertical when fully raised.

Thanks

FWIW that'l be a gunter not a lug and that is certainly what the jaws look like. Same as a Mirror dink and much else besides.