Photos of my unusual bowsprit

[jerrytug]

If anyone is interested here is my bowsprit. It is solid, square section on deck, going octagonal outboard, and is very thick for its length. It can lift, but it's a slight faffabout.
The bobstay is wire, presently triced up, with a 4:1 tackle.
The bowsprit shrouds are new, 8mil stainless wire tensioned by rigging screws and tested by jumping on them.
The chain on the port roller is on the buoy.
The anchor is dangling over the water from the bowsprit roller, ready to drop in case of any mishap in the busy harbour.
The jib has a nice tight roll after rearranging it yesterday.
The permanent outer forestay opposes the pull of the bobstay and will be used to experiment with flying jibs etc.

The two stays'l poles are lashed under the bowsprit shrouds, strongly enough to walk on them, making it quite safe to go out to the end. There really is nowhere else to park them except on deck, which would mean losing the wide open space on deck, not to mention drilling the deck for chocks.

A few people (a very few..) have asked me to post some pics of the boat, so this is the first, I will concentrate on the rigging and sail aspects, hope someone finds it of interest, cheers Jerry

 

[Woodlouse]

Not really sure I like the anchor roller in the middle of the bowsprit. In conditions where the anchor chain is snatching it's going to put a lot of strain on the unsupported section on spar.

 

[jerrytug]

Not really sure I like the anchor roller in the middle of the bowsprit. In conditions where the anchor chain is snatching it's going to put a lot of strain on the unsupported section on spar.

Yes maybe. It's only a yard in front of the stem though, the bowsprit is very thick, and supported by a tight, permanent outer forestay, and I have a nylon snubber.
There are ordinary rollers on the stem fitting as well, but using the bowsprit roller would avoid the anchor gouging chunks out of the bows, which I imagine was the thinking behind putting the extra roller out there. We shall see, I've only been underway for a few days.

 

[BlackPig]

You should be able to drop the jib and lay it down along the bowsprit easerly with your set up. I had to do it yesterday with my boat. I normally hove too turning to port as my bowsprit lies to the port of the stem-head, and the jib halyard is also on the port side of the mast. I can then lower the jib halyard and at the same time pull the sail down and inboard with the sheets. Yesterday the shore was closer than I would have liked so I had to drop it turning starboard. The jib came down into the water and I then pulled it slowly on board. Not as neat but still ok.

http://s616.photobucket.com/user/heard23/library/Carrie?sort=3&page=1 has photos of my boat.