03/15/05

Pictures of old bowsprit on LoBo, CT37 hull #20.

The butt end of the sprit where the original stays'l plates were mounted was badly rotted - entire handfuls of pulp were easily removed.  Many sections also had extensive termite damage.  I had to cut off the round end of the sprit so that it would fit in the dumpster, and a cross section photo shows the new termite damage, and the epoxy repair of old termite damage done by a previous owner.

The old sprit was also bent upward as shown in the photo taken of the sprit laying sideways on the sawhorses.  This is possibly caused by insufficient tension on the bobstay and the fact that the boat is rigged with twin headstays (I will change to a single headstay and roller furling in the future).  Also, the sprit was repaired at some point in the past as the probable result of a collision.  A new section of wood was scarfed on to the end of sprit.  Some of the scarf joint is visible in the cross section photo.

Chuck Snyder