Cutter rig

[Commander227]

I am exploring the possibility of throwing on a bowsprit to fly a large masthead roller furling reaching genoa and adding a hound to the mast to run a 7/8ths fractional 90% self tacking jib to the existing stem fitting.
I tried searching the forum with no luck. I can't believe no one else has done something similar.
My question for the forum is this;
How do the Ariel and Commanders handle under the small jib? I am concerned about being able to properly balance the helm while sailing to weather. I have only sailed The Princess with is the large 150% genoa, when I need to reduce sail the boat sails much better if I reef the main and let the genny breath. If I need to further reduce sail I drop the main and she sails very nicely under the Genny alone. If I sail with only the main I get an unacceptable amount of weather helm. Being a jib is generally more efficient to weather, does a 90% - 100% jib have enough power to balance the big main?

[Commander 147]

I got several months ago a price on a camber spar jib because I was thinking I might like to try a self tacking jib on the commander. A camber spar jib for this boat would cost about $1300.00 so it would be nice to hear a response to your question from someone with experience flying a small jib on a commander and how the helm handles with it.

[Rico]

How do the Ariel and Commanders handle under the small jib?
I am concerned about being able to properly balance the helm while sailing to weather. I have only sailed The Princess with is the large 150% genoa, when I need to reduce sail the boat sails much better if I reef the main and let the genny breath. If I need to further reduce sail I drop the main and she sails very nicely under the Genny alone. If I sail with only the main I get an unacceptable amount of weather helm. Being a jib is generally more efficient to weather, does a 90% - 100% jib have enough power to balance the big main?

I concurr with your assessment - these yachts love the power from the headsail. When going to weather, the Mainsail is often just along for the ride.... There may not be any direct threads on the topic; but I do remember many posts refering to positive results with the addition of a reef on the main BEFORE reducing the headsail.

The workhorse headsail on the Mephisto Cat (C-155) is the 100% jib on the stock sloop rig. and yes - it is capable of providing more than adecuate power to balance the main. We typically have plenty of breeze here in San Francisco Bay (in the summer) - if the breeze is not there, then the small jib may be a bit short on power. But in light conditions the Main is similarly under-powered, so there are really no balance issues... (just overall power)

I have to say the the pointing abilities of the small jib are outstanding - even for our full keel hulls - provided there is a fresh breeze.

During my last sail we took off in a light breeze and chose the mighty 180% Genoa. But as the breeze freshened to around 12 kts we were quickly getting close to being overpowered. On came the 100% Jib which really comes into its power range at above 10-15 kts and can handle well above that... No need to bother with anything in between as we expected the breeze to come up.

I am a big fan of the look of a cutter rig and would be very interested in seeing how a Commander performs under such a rig.

My concern would be to the balance of the boat with a cutter rig as it is:

a) Driven by both headsails (especially with a larger genoa on a sprit)

b) Driven under the genoa on the sprit only (no stay sail)

I'd wonder about the effects of the significant displacement forward of the rig's center of effort in anything other than light conditions. It might not be a great distance in absolute terms, but as a percentage of the LOA, AND considering the amount of canvas in question, this may prove to be a bit much. I could see the rudder being overpowered as the breeze increased (considering the relatively small rudders we have). Particularly on a reach... and beating to weather.

Someone who designs sailing boats for a living might have some intuitive insight about this. I do thing it would be an interesting experiment...

Are you considering this because you typically have light conditions? Or?

[Commander227]

My main motivation all along with the Commander was to have a beautiful, stable and simple daysailer. Quick and simple in and out of the dock so we can enjoy the little one hour sails that fit in with our busy lives. The electric inboard, Dutchman system on the main and roller furler have gone along way to that end. The other day I commissioned an Alerion 28 and was looking at the Hoyt jib boom thinking "I could build that!" The Alerion sails wonderfully with the jib boom (and self tacking means less spilled beer) but the boat was designed around the little fractional jib and has a large roached main. Being the Hoyt vangs the jib off the wind they say the 90% has the same power down wind as a 150%. As you said Rico, a 100% jib points so well to weather I'm not too concerned with that, but how about all other points of sail? I would love to just go with a 90% mast head on a Hoyt style jib boom but nervious about giving up the power up front. like the Mopar guys say "There is no replacement for displacement". We seldom sail in conditions that require reefing, so thats why I thought of adding the sprit with a light (perhaps 3oz.) reaching genny, not so much to fly upwind or at the same time as the jib or in conditions over 10kts. Its hard to say how much effect moving the center of effort forward by 18"-24" would have, my sense is she would carry it well but my senses have failed me before.

[Commander 147]

Mike

I once contacted Gary Hoyt about his jib boom for another boat I was contemplating. It turned out that you can get a generic version of the boom from Forespar that could be installed on a commander. But there is a differance between the generic version and the Alerion version. The Alerion version has two hydraulic cylinders below deck that push the boom outboard in light air. Without them the boom will tend to fall towards the low side of the boat in very light air. If you want I will try and dig through some old e-mails to get you the person to contact to get a quote on the jib boom. You may be able to rig something to push the boom outboard in light air. And I would love to hear the report on how it worked on our commanders.

Another thing to consider is that our boats have a lower forward shroud that will limit the length of the jib boom and the size of the sail you can fit up there. On my boat the distance from the stemhead fitting to the chainplate of the forward lower shroud is approx 9 foot.

[Rico]

...a 100% jib points so well to weather I'm not too concerned with that, but how about all other points of sail?

I see...
The 100% provides great power in all points of sail - WITH a breeze!
I mentioned the pointing abilities because I was impressed with its power upwind, and of course, its power relative to the main is diminished as the wind comes around and also as conditions get lighter.

There is definitely a point where you do need to go to a bigger sail up front in order to properly power the boat... and this comes in the 10 to 15kt range unfortunately. In these conditions I do not think you'd be happy only with the 90% fractional on the Hoyt (which implies a headsail with a relatively short foot and high clew; therefore fewer sq ft than the 100%) as the only source of power up front...

So I see how you arrived at the Cutter Rig schene you described...

If you typically sail in light conditions the effects of the concerns I've pointed out (above) might be manageable, and i think it might be worth experimenting...

There are plenty of stories about owner's changes to all sorts of boats where the resulting performance surprised even the original designer...

However - have you also considered the issue with tacking this rig?
Unless you plan on having an excessively LONG bowsprit, you'll have some issues with the tacking of the Genny when the fractional stay is in place... You might have quite a bit of beer spillage as you go up front to trying to push that Genny out in front of the cutter stay as it folds onto the stay when coming about...

A removable stay will help when using only the genoa. But even if you had this, you might be limited to a choice of EITHER sailing with the genny, OR the self tacker - not both - unless you want to do a bit of hard work up on the pointy end while underway...

[ebb]

I like the cutter idea very much also.
Especially moving the original stay down six feet from the top of the mast and have it go from there to the stem
- and running the new jibstay from the masthead to the cranze iron out on a THREE FOOT bowsprit. That's arbitrary - the sprit can be any length out. Six feet is where the staysail tang will be if the new jibstay to the masthead is three feet outboard and parallel with its companion, Doesn't need to be parallel, but looks better imco.
The inner stay could be moved out of the way to the mast shrouds and big light sails like screechers (which have their own furlers built in) flown from the jibstay. Might even tack the big sails with the inner stay removed?

I'd like to experiment how to sail with a 100, a 120, and a 130 in the larger triangle.
The boat might even point higher, right? There would be times, especially with furler/reefers on both stays, I'd sweat being over-powered!
The 'inner' stay is useful for shortening sail in heavy weather, as a staysail in that triangle would be small. Even smaller if self-tending on a club. How would the 100 work on the new bowsprit?
Most likely smart to have runners opposing the lower stay. How to rig fail-safe runners?
This means that the deck-stepped mast would depend on the jibstay at all times to oppose the backstay.

Can't get my head to accept shower grating as part of a bowsprit. (see Pacific Seacraft's DANA 24)
I'm strictly a plain pole person that thinks the sprit is part of a sailboat's spar system. Don't like an anchor shank pulled up into the furniture of an overbuilt pulpit.


Called up a carbon spar maker. He thought he could weave a tube that could be rigged as a bowsprit, but would weigh in as if it were aluminum*. IOW it would have to be pretty thick walled to take static compression loads.
I figured that a tube bowsprit that would rig out about three feet from the stem and inner stay could be about six feet long. 15 or 20 pounds? Haven't pursued it because I haven't a clue how to rig carbon as a bowsprit. Or a way to pay for it...$2000 to $3000.


Now suppose we were going to put that sprit together with more reasonable stuff like wood?
Figure a five foot square pole of 3" X 4" will weigh it at about 36#. And that is using PortOrfordCedar (which I happen to have a couple planks). Fir or mahogany might be heavier by five or six pounds.

To that weight you have to add the new jibstay and turnbuckle. Also the weight of a cranze iron if you find one. Then there's the turnbuckles for the shrouds and the bobstay and bobstay fitting - add in a real strong gammon strap at the stem. Then add the samson post and all the bolts and shackles of the system.
[AND I've got a anchor roller on the other side of the stem!]
I'm assuming an offset single pole bowsprit probably mounted on the starboard side of the stem fitting. Three feet outboard the spar meets the centerline of the ship.
Missed something I know. But that is a whole bunch of ounces we are proposing for a cyrano on a Commander or Ariel.

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___
*for comparison purpose only (I have no idea what size aluminum pipe could be used as a bowsprit): 4" nom schedule 40, - 6061T6 (4.5 OD X .24wall X 4.026 ID) - linear foot 3.78# = 23# for six feet - online metals $93.50.

[Commander227]

I had The Princess's old original jib laying around so the other night I pulled out the luff wire, hanks and grommets and stitched on the RF luff tape I cut off of a sail heading for the garbage.
The Princess no longer has the jib tracks on the coach roof so I tied some blocks to the forward chain plates on 8' lanyards and went out for a sail. It was blowing 15 gusting 20-25. I really liked the way she handled, plenty of power, balanced helm, and very good visibility. Now I need a couple of sails in lighter air to see how it feels. The jib's hoist is about 2' shorter than my genoa and the foot is cut pretty high. When trimmed in tight the foot extends about 6"-8" past the forward lower shroud.
I mocked up a jib boom out of EMT copying the angles published by forspar for the Hoyt jib boom. A jib with a 8' foot would clear the mast by about 8" and the forward lowers by 4", I can get about a 30' hoist on my furler and I would fashion the jib boom to just clear the cabin top giving me a 29' leech. that adds up to 115 square feet which is the same as the original Commander jib only a higher aspect ratio and better efficiency off the wind due to the boom. Of coarse if I go with a cutter rig I'd loose maybe 3' feet of hoist going to a 7/8ths fractional rig dropping the sail area to 103 sq/ft.
The Commanders mast is such a tree trunk I feel perfectly confident with a 100 sq/ft jib at a 7/8ths without any further stays.
I took a little tour around the marina and looked at bow sprits. The Com-Pac 27 has a simple plank type that is edged by stainless strap, I like it if I was going to house an anchor, but I think the Princess would look sweet with a simple pole type like the Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 minus the deck, anchor roller and pulpit. Bronze blocks carries a sprit stem fitting much like the Dana's. Not too concered with the weight up front as it took 2 group 27 batteries in the chain locker and 2 under the V berth to get her to lie as I liked. I could always move one back a bit.

[Commander227]

I'm fairly certain I'm going to install a jib boom with or without going with the cutter rig. (mostly just because I think they are neat) So, here are my options:
1, Go for the most sail area in the hopes its enough and forsake the idea of a cutter rig. Run the jib to the mast head and get about 115 Sq/ft of jib. Easiest and simplest route. If I am unhappy with it I would need to re-cut my new jib to a fractional rig to go with a cutter setup.

2, Go with a 7/8th fractional rig. This would drop the jib down about 3' from the mast head and give me about 100 sq/ft of jib. Normally you would drop the upper side stays to that point and the mast would be properly supported. But this set up would be to hedge my bet and allow to add the cutter rig down the road so I wouldn't want to do that. being the Commander mast is so over built I think I am comfortable just moving the tang down 3' if only flying 100 sq/ft of jib. This gives me the biggest self tacking jib that I can use but the jib stay would not be parallel with the stay on the sprit, I agree with you Ebb, not really a performance thing I just don't like the look.

3, Go cutter from the git-go, drop the jib stay down around 6' below the mast head to get the stays parallel and shippy. Now the jib is down to about 83 sq/ft, but I have the genny (and a use for the very expensive winches I put on a couple of years ago). At 6' below the mast head I would not be comfortable with out opposing the jib stay. Running backs are out of the question, how about a small set of swept spreaders with diamond stays from the masthead to the spreaders?

As far as the sprit goes, I agree with Ebb about the "shower grating" and the anchor roller. I would want a simple pole. I don't really understand the forces and engineering, but that where I just start copying. The Dana is an amazingly stout craft so maybe just ditch my stem fitting and copy that set up. As I said, to balance the weight I can just shift my batteries aft.

Any thoughts?
Mike

[ebb]

Rebuilding Rose, Tale of an Atkin Packet Sloop, Jim Spaulding 2004.
The Atkins, William and John, father and son, designed some of the most appealing full keel small cutters and sloops ever.
Their traditional designs are still 'upgraded' to this day with people making the little ships from strip planking and fiberglass. And of course up in Maine or Washington you'll still find some of them built properly of all wood and stockholm tar.

The book above can be found in tantalizing pieces on the internet, where a photo of a nicely shaped bowsprit
with an added narrow teak (non shower-grate) step platform can be found. Perfect proportions imco.

The Atkins were bowsprit mavens. You might find the proper proportions for a Commander on one of their designs of similar displacement.
Making them tapered and slender rather than stiff enables bowsprits to withstand yanking loads without breaking. And well designed means less weight over the stem.


Jim Spaulding installed an ELECTRIC MOTOR in his restoration of Rose.
The book would be worth getting for that alone. It must have been a chore:
"In hindsight, I am reminded that pioneers are the ones with arrows in their backs."


source: Cranz(e) irons
can be found in the Bristol Bronze catalog on page 36.

[ebb]

There is a related thread called ARIEL SCUTTER ref Admeasure/Tonnage in the archives here
- which may be useful for this discussion. Sorry for repeats.


Richard Moot's Triton cutter conversion no longer comes up on the Pearson Triton site.
(No wonder, it is powered by Yahoo... Geocities has been axed.)

There is a thread here on this Forum that talks about this subject.
Inner Forstay
Maybe you can access it.

One of the Richard Moot photos of Soubrette #17 showed how a bowsprit can really give a boat some huevos. Boats appears larger,
seem to alter their button-down conservative appearance,
makes the boat less pinched and tidy.

It just looks more smile ....and more capable.

[ebb]

Solstice 2014 starts a new year. Also a good time for bowsprit study.
I've made contact with a well known sailmaker/cruiser. Not so much
weather helm came up, but what Rico mentions, our boats like headsails.

I made, if I say so myself, a very nice aluminum pipe sprit. Two tubes
in a wide stance, meeting 3' outboard. I think it was after it was made
and anodized that I contacted a well known naval architect, who
did the maths, and said OK to a permanent three foot bowsprit.
Two forestays, one lower on the mast requiring some sort of backing
like runners. Runners are a PITA - and it's extra gear.

And that has become the theme of adding a sprit: extra gear. The NA, if
I remember, thought another shroud - a third one opposing the second lower
stay - could be shared by the aft lower chainplate. LittleGull now has new
exterior plates, so it can be done. Not sure exactly how to rig it - certainly
don't want another chainplate - but as time went on, adding all that extra
weight on the bow, seemed ridiculous for the Ariel.

But now it has popped up again. Been drawing and trying to figure weights
for the aluminum sprit - a traditional and offset (because of our stem fitting)
sprit - and a 'plank' version. Seen hundreds of stainless tube sprits, most
not stayed, constructed to hold new gen anchors. and some that work as
struts for a jibstay doubled with a bobstay. Hate 'em... cumbersome....
nearly every contraption has the anchor(s) captured within the furniture.

Wrong. Anchors weighed are too close to the bobstay. The rode must be
able to be lifted out of the roller and placed into the chock on the bow.
Believe it dangerous to ride anchor using the commercial roller as the lead.
And asking for trouble using a mast rigged bowsprit as a lead for the anchor.

Love the offset pole bowsprit. Not only will it need a bobstay but also shroud
stays, whisker stays. Plus a bronze cranz iron out on the end imported from
Toplicht in Germany: $200/300. Plus nearly all of the outboard rig should
be bronze being so close to the salt. I've just ordered an all bronze t'buckle
& toggles from RWRope... nice... but an absolutely ridiculous expense.

The pole sprit begs for one of those 'gunmetal stemhead rollers' that Davey
vendors sell for $250. The pole would likely span the foredeck back to a
single Samson post. There would be cleats and chocks, and ebb already has
a Bomar hatch on foredeck that he thought would be great for the chain...
and rode ....and anchors!... and a couple bags of sails... Well...

If anybody is interested, the bow will be better served with a 'plank' sprit.
Out on the end of it there has to be a reefer/furler, probably a Profurl or
Schaefer. A wide flat sprit will allow more space for a pulpit, better leads
for anchor-rollers, hopefully no shroud stays necessary. The anchoring
stuff will be raised using the top of the sprit as a platform. Don't know how
the non-existent crew is going to hand haul the anchor gear... but it may
be a tad easier with flat surfaces and places for the feet at the bow.

Anybody contemplating a permanent bowsprit? PortOrfordCedar is lighter,
more rot resistant. Might still have some. Have to really scout around for
Douglas Fir: old growth, close grain, air-dry, flawless, for either wood spar
and it would be a lottery trusting the source. VanArsdaleHarris is still in
business. I'm thinking POC is the way to go. Purpleheart is too heavy.

In fact, imco, nearly ANY traditional bowsprit is going to be too heavy!

Weigh in on this subject oh ye Commandoers and Arieleers?

[Tony G]

Hey, Ebb

This camp keeps leaning toward something like the bow sprits on the Nor'Sea 27 and Dana 24. A little timber, a couple of rollers, and a point of attachment for an asymmetrical. I know there are differences between all of the mentioned hulls, and no, I have not consulted ANYONE about any of this, but, I'll just try to build it tough, make it look "not too ugly" and try 'like my life depends on it' to get out there. Fixing your boat in exotic places is expected to be part of cruising.

This topic should be aired-out well before spring's work can begin!

[ebb]

TONY! Keep meaning to ask: How's your keel home coming?

This choice, if that is what it boils down to, is imco about how light a sprit can be
put together by non-engineers. Both those sexy cruisers you mention have waterlines
4'or 5' longer than Ariel or Commander. And their starting displacement is 8,000lbs.
These hefty ladies can cantilever a whole kaboodle of anchor & gear outboard,
you know, including a kit in a bikini.

Both are sloops with cutter rigs. The stays are parallel - both can have reefer/furlers.
Don't like this sort of sprit. There's too much chunky squared off wood and steel stuff.
And almost every model has captured anchors & warps leading through the carpentry.
Think that's dangerous, because you'll be trusting your rode to out of reach rollers
on the bowsprit - a bad idea. But I'm sure something could be designed by a
motivated skipper. There are plank sprits with stem-head rollers on the sides, where
the rode can hopefully be transferred to chocks on the boat at night.

On our A/C everything is about weight in the ends. Why not leave the pulpit right
where the chief originally put it? Leave the sprit alone except for rigging the jibstay.
Stepping out on a 3' long bowsprit, you leg over the pulpit, with a hand on the jib stay
and pulpit. On a pole, that'll be dicey underfoot.

OFFSET WOOD SPAR BOWSPRIT (on paper)
Drawing a tapered pole spar of, say, 74"L and 4"Diameter or so, on the plan of the
foredeck... lay out the sprit so it passes tight by the stem fitting on the port side and
ends on the boat's extended centerline 3' outboard... the lines, imco, make a pleasing
angle. The bowsprit, to end at a traditional Samson post, can't be at the centerline
on the foredeck. However, if rode and line lead through symmetrically mounted chocks,
then it doesn't matter if the 'hitching post' is off center.
There'll just be too many weighty & pricey bronze bonbons: turnbuckles, toggles, wire
or rod, gammon & cranz irons, and $250 stem anchor rollers - plus the furling gear.
Spruce wood for this spar is maybe too soft for deck work. Less rot-prone Douglas fir:
durable - coastal seasoned old growth, is probably available....18 to 20lb+ for the spar.
Add a couple slotted rails at 10&2 o'clock, and put sand in your varnish for footing.

WOOD PLANK COMPOSITE BOWSPRIT (on paper)
Looking at that interesting angle of the off-set spar on the drawing...what happens if
the other side of the stem, the starboard, gets the same treatment... By gum, looks
purdy good! Both lines drawn offset 4" from the stem fitting it becomes a tidy spear-
point diamond shape. Where the lines pass the stem it's 14.5" wide. Extending
inboard for another 18" it gets to an 18" spread. The lines then reverse inward to
meet up with an imaginary samson post now at center deck about 38" in from the
stem. The outline now on the scale drawing has the look of an Indian lanceolate
spear point... except for its straight lines! The samson post is dead center where
the existing bulkhead in the forepeak is. Just about the only possible place for an
actual wood post. The smaller triangle shape, sharing an imaginary 'base line' with
the longer triangle on the plan, makes it look like a lance point.... with stubbed
off points about 4'' across on the outer apex for the jib stay plate - with its inner
point similarly blunted - to be bracketed to deck and ironwood post.

Original stem fitting, now designated for the stays'l stay, is smack dab in the middle
of the plank. Asume the fully rigged static driving force of the new jibstay/bobstay
is concentrated through the center of the plank. The middle of the stack is probably
where many pieces of wood meet to be joined......Hmmmm..... not exactly smart!
Suppose the completed plank is kept about 2" thick, and glued up into a sandwich
using Port Orford Cedar. Howabout embedding into the center of this stack a 6"
wide 1/4" aluminum plate (5086H32, an interesting alloy available from onlinemetals)
from tip to tail* with a slot cavity for the stay toggles. 5200 adhesive - or polyether -
- to create a rubber comforter to cradle the aluminum jack inside the bun.
(* 6' of 6"wide 1/4"thick aluminum is going to add 10lbs to the plank.... Not good.)

This plank bowsprit is probably wide enough to avoid side turnbuckle braces. The
plate gives extra support and stiffness to the 2" thick composite. Maybe add carbon
or Kevlar fabric layers to the composite when gluing up? POC = 33lb. Plate = 10lb.
43b just to stick it out there! - plus rigging weight, and a single bronze turnbuckle
- plus roller/reefer, the anchor rollers, the anchors, chain lead and warps...oh boy!
See anchor rollers as launcher/retrievers which can probably be placed closer inboard
and skewed a little more off center because they won't be used for riding at anchor.

Plank sprit maybe isn't as photogenic as the pole sprit - painted rather than finished
bright. When all the windage and weight is added up, they'll all come out about
the same. won't they? At the moment, at least on paper, the flat sprit has the
edge, because it seems to keep a less futsy, less cluttered, foot-friendly foredeck.


Look at David's http://www.bristol29.com/ site. Imagine Triton Tim's 381 double
roller plank sprit translated to a honking permanent double forestay rig with a caged
Nor'sea uber-sprit - the craftsmanship & photos are superior. Menu "bobstay"

On the net: an "Aluminum Replacement Bowsprit for a Pacific Seacraft Flicka20".
Replica of the original wooden bowsprit. Definitely has the Nor'sea look and style.
Flicka has the same waterline and beam as A/C....bet it'll bolt right on. Weight?

This exercise shows that having ideas for a sprit doesn't make them any lighter.
Wood + s.s. too heavy for LittleGull. Mast & Boom are aluminum...so... Sprit also!...
Have that self designed 5'L aluminum 2" pipe 'A-frame' sprit... proportioned like
the 'plank sprit' described above. Weighs 20lb.... Try to get a couple photos
here, soon. Has some design probs - but time has run out, have to make it work.
.................................................. .................................................. ............................
EDIT: 4/2015. After talking with a sailmaker who specializes in cruisers, a bowsprit
option was mentioned... decided to mount the available A-frame sprit 2.5' instead
of 3' outboard. Inner stay is tanged about 2' down from the original mast top jib
stay tang. Jib stay becomes the permanent rigged stay with a Schaefer reefer/furler.
Inner stay becomes Solentized and can be temporarily moved to the shrouds or set
up for hanked on storm jib or drifter. There is now no convenient place for rollbar
anchors like Supreme to be hauled and housed. Nor an oversized storm anchor.
The sprit isn't designed for anchor rollers off its nose. Check Gallery page...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~
EDIT: 11/2016. Littlegull willnot mount a 20lb aluminum A sprit, plus bobstay gear
and rigging, to the bow. There is also proper anchor gear a cruiser carrys in the
bow. A 6lb carbon tube Asprit from Trogear can be the answer. It will require
rethinking the double forestays: probably, instead of rigging the inner stay as a
movable Solent, making the inner stay the permanent one and the outer stay on
the bowsprit movable. The carbon Asprit is designed to be foldale. Useful when
parking in a marina. And a top-down furling asymmetrical is perfect to fly there 3
feet out...