Mystery canvas

[Miss Pessimist]

Hi all: I'm hoping someone can help me identify what exactly this canvas is used for. We recently purchased a Gulfstar Ketch and this was in one of the forward compartments. We cannot figure out what the usage would be. The previous owner used it as a foredeck tent (he said it seemed like a good idea after a few beers, haha) but it really doesn't seem to be for that based on the notched lower edge. The "top" of the canvas is the seam that joins the two pieces together, and has a long line attached with a ring to support another line. This makes sense as a deck tent as a halyard could hold that seam up off the deck. But then the notches don't line up with anything? The lower edges have several lines c/w snap hooks and a notch about 2'-3' from the back edge. It is potentially not even from this boat, but something a previous owner salvaged somewhere, but for the life of me I can't figure out what the heck it would be. Any advice and thoughts would be appreciated.

[jstevens]

Assuming the pics are of the canvas folded in half lengthwise, it looks like a foredeck awning.

John

[Miss Pessimist]

Originally Posted by jstevens

Assuming the pics are of the canvas folded in half lengthwise, it looks like a foredeck awning.

John

It is indeed folded in half.

I do agree it looks like a foredeck awning. I just can't quite figure out the notches. They look like they were intended to go around masts. But even a dual masted catamaran wouldn't need a triangular foredeck awing.

[Southpass]

Looks like a sail cover to me.

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by Southpass

Looks like a sail cover to me.

That's my vote. If it's too short for your main boom, maybe it's for the mizzen.

[Southpass]

Exactly!

Originally Posted by Peregrine1983

That's my vote. If it's too short for your main boom, maybe it's for the mizzen.

[Miss Pessimist]

If it's a sail cover, it's awfully darn complicated. What would the line and the ring at the bottom of the picture (the seam) be for? The seam is open to allow for wrapping the mast at all either.

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by Miss Pessimist

If it's a sail cover, it's awfully darn complicated. What would the line and the ring at the bottom of the picture (the seam) be for? The seam is open to allow for wrapping the mast at all either.

My guess is still a sail cover, but made to accommodate a lazy jack system. Here’s a shot of my Mack Pack system and cover.

[StuM]

Another vote for sail cover.

[JPA Cate]

Try setting it up as a foredeck tent, and see if the notches make sense on the foredeck, perhaps to go around a stanchion base? or windlass, if offset?

It does not look like a sail cover to me. It would be too fiddly to put on, and doesn't need the grommets. Plus, there's no way to secure the fwd end of it around a mast.

Ann

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

there's no way to secure the fwd end of it around a mast.

Ann

Actually, I think the two holes next to the grommets that have the lines through them on the “forward” end of it are for twist fasteners on the mast. That’s what my Mack pack has.

Does your mast have two twist fasteners on each side?

[Peregrine1983]

I’m fairly certain I’m correct here. Is gambling allowed on cruisers forum?

[StuM]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

It does not look like a sail cover to me. It would be too fiddly to put on, and doesn't need the grommets. Plus, there's no way to secure the fwd end of it around a mast.
Ann

Fiddly is irrelevant if it's a permanently attached "stack pack" sail cover.

[JPA Cate]

Those are good arguments, Peregrine and Stu M. So, you think that at some point they had a stak pak on the mizzen boom? Could be. Then re- purposed it, at another time?

Ann

[Miss Pessimist]

Originally Posted by Peregrine1983

Actually, I think the two holes next to the grommets that have the lines through them on the “forward” end of it are for twist fasteners on the mast. That’s what my Mack pack has.

Does your mast have two twist fasteners on each side?

Honestly, I don't know what "twist fasteners" are.

When I first saw the canvas, I thought it was a stack pack, however there's no battens plus the seamed area (which would go at the bottom) as this line and ring set up that makes no sense as a stack pack. Also, there would then be a notch at the top edge on either side which makes no sense. There's also no way to secure it around the mast, but that's a minor consideration.

Then I thought perhaps foredeck tent in which the seamed edge would be topside and the line and ring set up would make sense as a halyard lift. Then all the lines and snap hooks make sense in that they would attach to the life lines I guess. In that orientation, the notches would be on the outer edges butd THAT makes no sense as there's nothing that large that would need to be notched around.

So, all in all, I'm still confused. haha. I do appreciate the efforts though.