Head sail changes, furling (optional) and dealing with a square, anchor-full bowsprit

[Ian McColgin]

I like bowsprit safety.

On Goblin (Alden 43' schooner) the life lines came down to the gunnel just abaft the stem. This gave room to get past the head stay and swing my feet down to the footrope that went to the bobstay. I experimented with a line to reduce the space between the whisker stays and the base of the bowsprit but found that in reality I never leaned back anyway while there. About the place where the footrope met the bobstay was about where the whiskers were embracing me and where I could reach the tack - as far forward as I was going no matter what. It was a good place to work.

But better was Granuaile's bowsprit. No plank stuff. Round sprit with good footing first from non-skid on the original and then inset teak strips on the new sprit I built, both arced through 60 degrees, 30 to each side. The pulpit was right at the end with solid rails coming back parallel to the sprit a bit under 24" apart to the anchor rollers. These supported a couple of struts that V'd out a little adding rigidity. From here the rails angled out to join with an upright at the gunnels on each side a couple feet abaft the stem. Good space to get around the head stay and super secure at any angle of heel.

I went to all hanked on for Granuaile. I always have a downhaul for jibs running from a block down by the tack up along the stay inside the clips to the peak. If left not through the clips the downhaul flogs in the wind. So the sail could be hauled down from the foremast with both halyard and downhaul control. Once down, the jib could be kept down, resisting it's tendency to slide back up the jibstay's slope in a high wind. Then I'd go out on the sprint and work my way back securing the jib to the lee rail and lifeline with what I call a "sweedish furl" - essentially a chain knot over sail and rail. It holds great, uses up the long tail of the downhaul eliminating the need to secure that coil, and lets you unzip it from a position by the foremast when you go to hoist the sail again.

I think hanked on is hard to beat for a voyaging boat but so many folk never intelligently rig their bowsprits for real safety that I always also mention the marriman alternative.

G'luck

[benz]

Hi Marudo.
It seems that dousing a flying jib or drifter would be difficult, but with a little practise it's not much harder than a hank-on. Just a different technique. I doused my 300 sq ft drifter in a very sudden nighttime 50-knot blow, and though it scooped a little water from overside, it came aboard all right and could be immediately bundled below without my having had to go to the bowsprit end to unhank it. So I didn't have a bundle of wet sail bogging down the bowsprit end--I just eased out the line that hauls the foot out to the cranse iron, unclipped it, and my bowsprit could rear and plunge all it liked without shovelling tons of water back. One of the advantages of setting sails flying is that since you never need go to the bowsprit end, you can eliminate all the weight and clutter of nets and footropes and walkways and pulpits, with all the windage and drag and expense they can cause.
Still whatever you end up with, by all means eliminate all roller furling, which is a plain invitation to trouble.
Ben