Selden bowsprit

[H4B]

Anyone know if the tube they use for bowsprit is the same wall thickness that is used for spinnaker pole . I have a 77mm diameter carbon spinnaker pole and wonder if I can employ this as a bowsprit with addition of a bow ring?

 

[johnphilip]

Bad one to guess

The Selden Site shows gennaker bowsprits in 72 and 75 mm Ali as well as 76 mm Carbon. I know I fitted the lighter Ali one on our 33' as the cruising chute I believe to be quite moderate in size. I admit I did exceed Selden's recommendation of extension for that tube and weight of boat by 50-100 mm (I cannot remember exactly) and the tube is now slightly bent. I never have known whether this was caused by sailing or heavy crew jumping on the pole when it was in the retracted position. My point is that there is a lot of bending moment on this spar even if quite short so I would try and check through a Selden agent before fitting an unknown quantity.You do need the right end fittings as well as the ring to make this work properly.

 

[H4B]

The Selden Site shows gennaker bowsprits in 72 and 75 mm Ali as well as 76 mm Carbon. I know I fitted the lighter Ali one on our 33' as the cruising chute I believe to be quite moderate in size. I admit I did exceed Selden's recommendation of extension for that tube and weight of boat by 50-100 mm (I cannot remember exactly) and the tube is now slightly bent. I never have known whether this was caused by sailing or heavy crew jumping on the pole when it was in the retracted position. My point is that there is a lot of bending moment on this spar even if quite short so I would try and check through a Selden agent before fitting an unknown quantity.You do need the right end fittings as well as the ring to make this work properly.

Thanks for thinking about it. I will be contacting my SELDEN Agent anyway but I doubt that they will pass up the opportunity of another sale and will urge caution. . If it can't be done I will go down the bowsprit route. I am hoping to be able to do the two jobs with the one pole I think some boats do this , Dehler?

 

[wotayottie]

Thanks for thinking about it. I will be contacting my SELDEN Agent anyway but I doubt that they will pass up the opportunity of another sale and will urge caution.

Of course they will urge caution - why should they take the risk of some sort of claim or aggro on something they havent sold, particularly when they would need to get lots of data from you and send it to Selden to get the calx done to check whats feasible anyway. You're being unrealistic and a bit uncharitable.

 

[johnphilip]

Still worth asking

A rigging firm should be prepared to tell you if the Selden Gennaker pole is the same section and thickness as you already have.
I suspect that all the fittings you need for your tube will eat into the savings you make by using your tube rather than the Selden kit.
I would say that it is a worthwhile project. With the bowsprit the chute seems a lot more stable whereas before we had that the sail was often collapsing.
Do make sure you can fit the ring securely before you commit. On our boat it was very tight to bolt on in the space in the very tight triangle at the prow. The forestay fittings make it worse.

 

[H4B]

Of course they will urge caution - why should they take the risk of some sort of claim or aggro on something they havent sold, particularly when they would need to get lots of data from you and send it to Selden to get the calx done to check whats feasible anyway. You're being unrealistic and a bit uncharitable.

Well I shall ask them anyway. I have spent enough with them over the last few years, four new sails, and I believe and trust what they tell me but if I can carry one spar instead of two then that makes sense to me even if that might be viewed as unrealistic or uncharitable, they can say no , but I was just wondering if anyone actually knew whether the spar sections used are common.