C-16 Bowsprits and trailers

[deisher6]

Stuff happening:
Since I last posted about switching to 10 inch tires, neglecting to consider their wider (fatter) profile, I have been sailing twice.  (Note the last five miles to my launch site is a heavily washboarded gravel road.) 

The first trip the axle shifted enough to make a grove in the inside sidewall with contact of one of the fender mounting bolts.  Noted too that both tires had made contact with the underside of the fender.  To correct this I moved the axle to the underside of the springs, tightened (more) the U-bolts, and placed a couple of bolts in the brake flange on the axle to keep it centered. Placing the axle under the springs raised the boat on the trailer about 3-4 inches.

The second trip, was mainly worried about launching  with the increased height of the boat.   There was no problem launching or recovering the boat.... but both fenders broke one mounting bracket each, both fenders caught in the tire before I noticed and got bent to heck.  Took them both off and successfully launched and recovered 3X. Returned home without fenders.  I suspect that just one bolt per mounting bracket per wider fender is not enough.  So have reused the two unbroken brackets, fabricated two more from 1/4 X 2 inch strap that have two bolts for the fender, and had welded up two more out of 1 inch box steel also with two bolts per fender.  So now each fender has three mounting brackets.  Will test the set up in the next couple of days.

The original 1 in. teak bowsprit was split when I bought the boat.  Scabbed a pice of 1/4 inch teak on and used it last year.  The scab split so replaced it with a new one made from 3/4 oak laminated to 1/4 in. teak with a walnut accent piece.  That split on the second trip this year.  The newest version is made from 3/4 plywood laminated with 1/4 inch oak wainscotting. 

Have others had simular bowsprit problems?  I suspect that is bounces up and down when trailering and the bobstay adds to the problem with its downward pressure.  When rigged the bowsprit projects as a continuation of the line of the rub rail.

I may buy a 2 inch longer axle and go back to two higher fender brackets, since they are fairly easy to make. Prefer that the boat sit lower on the trailer just to make it easier to get onto.   For now just wanna go sailing and quit repairing.

Three bowsprits and two broken fender brackets.

regards charlie

[JBC]

Hi Charlie,

I've owned two ComPac 16s with bowsprits and am now on my third bowsprit...one on each boat split.  Ordered a new one from ComPac and am keeping my fingers crossed, because they ain't cheap!  The last one split completely through lengthwise, so I decided not to try to fix it. The fact that ComPac keeps these in stock tells me something...

Jett

[capt.brian]

Nice work Charlie! So what's the lead time for one of those freshly varnished pups. You can count me as well for the split bowsprit. It was split the day I bought it. Wonder how a piece of the white poly marine board would work or look for this application. Just thought of it because I just got a piece from a local plastic house to cut me out a new weatherboard.

[deisher6]

Good to know that it isn't just our boat that splits bowsprits. 

When the 3/4 oak laminate split I was convinced that any wood with grain parallel to the centerline would split.  If the most recent plywood fabrication splits...I am going to plastic.  I also thought of reworking the original by putting threaded rods crosswise to pull it together and resist the bending. 

On the positive side I can whip one out that has been glued up in about 10-15 minutes if I don't have to set up any tools.

regards charlie

[Bob23]

  I've had the same experience with wide pieces of wood that are subject to movement due to temperature/humidity fluctuation. I'd rip the bowsprit into 3 pieces, epoxy it back together and
see what happens. Sure, it'll be a tad bit narrower but that should control the splitting.
  The bowsprit on my 23 had a slight split in it when I got it. I stopped it by filling the split with epoxy, sealing and varnishing all sides and edges, and while I was at it, I laminated 3/8" strips of white oak to mimic the teak and holly cabin sole.

Bob23

[deisher6]

Hey Capt'n Bob.
Good looking bowsprit.

I think that is is the bouncing while trailering with only downward pressure from the bobstay (even though slack).  With that thought in mind I think that I am going to bungee it off to the pulpit next trip.

It would probably be worse if I left the anchor on when trailering.

Thanks
regards charlie

[Citroen/Dave]

How about two through bolts in holes drilled across the grain, counter sunk so the SS strap still lays flat, to prevent cracking, or while epoxy repairing a cracked bowsprit?  Give that pretty little piece of wood some help!

[buckaroo]

The bowsprit on my boat had a 1/4" factory-installed backplate of teak screwed n' glued to the lower side when I acquired it, presumably because the board had begun splitting down the grain (I saw a similar fix on another Compac online).  When I began restoring the boat, I figured it was an inelegant and tacky solution (the backplate wasn't even squared up with the bowsprit!), so I pulled the backplate off and let capillary action pull as much West System into the cracks as the board would take.  Looks much better, and while I haven't had a chance to put much stress on the board yet, I think it'll work just fine.  I'm kind of surprised Hutchins was distributing split bowsprits, but I suppose with the price of teak being what it is, they didn't want to waste it.

[Eagleye]

The bowsprit on my Eclipse is made from short sections of teak laminated together like a parquet floor.   I guess they picked up on Bob's idea and made the thing out of smaller pieces for resistance against splitting and at the same time save on wasted teak.