440: Bow spirit was pulled down last night by bridle, need advice

[Nahbrown]

We have the standard small lagoon bow Spirit On our 2005 Lagoon 440. The Bridal reversed under the hulls last last night putting pressure on the cables and snapping the thin line holding the Bowspirit up. This happened at about 1030 at night and I was able to pull one of the cotter pin’s to separate the Bowspirit and bring the cables up independently onto the deck on both sides. Having never looked inside the bow Spirit i’m left wondering if I’m missing a part because it is separated from where it mounts to the front of the boat. Pics below.

Ive dropped the bow spirit line before and it hung in place but now it is separated.

Any advice on repairs?

[Nahbrown]

Upon further review it appears that the bow spirit Pole is held to the base by an internal hook and upward pressure. The only part that was sacrificed to this ordeal was the small line holding the bow spirit in position. Should be an easy fix that will wait until I figure out how to keep the bridal from reversing under the hulls at tide switch.

The tide is 5-6 feet here at St Augustine FL and the current is ripping. All the cats I have witnessed at anchor seem to experience the same reversing of their bridal under and between the hulls.

[tkeithlu]

Sounds as though it is time to design a bridle that does not involve the bowsprit. Congratulations. You dodged the bullet that time and figured out the problem.

Sorry. 38 years of grading termpapers and lab reports catches up with me at times.

[Nahbrown]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

Sounds as though it is time to design a bridle that does not involve the bowsprit. Congratulations. You dodged the bullet that time and figured out the problem.

Sorry. 38 years of grading termpapers and lab reports catches up with me at times.

Normally the bridle doesn’t touch the bow spirit cables when the boat is acting correctly and pivoting on the anchor. These St Augustine river tidal swings are something else though. We seem to reverse backward instead of pivoting thus sending the bridal between the hulls.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Nahbrown

Normally the bridle doesn’t touch the bow spirit cables when the boat is acting correctly and pivoting on the anchor. These St Augustine river tidal swings are something else though. We seem to reverse backward instead of pivoting thus sending the bridal between the hulls.

Looks like you totally missed the point of the bold "bridle" and "bowsprit" in the previous post.

[Dsanduril]

I don't know the strength of the points on your boat, so this is a general comment. On our boat the bridle is attached to the boat down low where the sprit wires are attached. This prevents the problems you are having but requires that those points be sufficiently strong.

The other option is to do as you have unintentionally done and un-rig the sprit while at anchor in these conditions.

[Nahbrown]

Originally Posted by StuM

Looks like you totally missed the point of the bold "bridle" and "bowsprit" in the previous post.

A restless night at anchor wondering what damage I had let happen to my boat is my only excuse for being so dense. Haha

[tkeithlu]

In summary, your boat is not getting married and while your boat is surely spirited, the bowsprit just sits there. Don't tempt me to get Freudian on the symbolism of bowsprits.

[Scubaseas]

A kellet might work for you?

[dannc]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

...

Sorry. 38 years of grading termpapers and lab reports catches up with me at times.

Should that be "term papers" and not termpapers?

Hmmmmmmm......

Later,
Dan

[stormalong]

Don't know anything about catamaran bow sprits but it looks like that light line was designed to be sacrificial to protect the more expensive components in incidents like that.

That fitting look a lot like a spinnaker a pole socket - made to come apart.

[tkeithlu]

Sorry, dannc. Term papers become termpapers become terpers. They all blendtogetherafterawhile.

[blubaju]

...

That fitting look a lot like a spinnaker a pole socket - made to come apart.

Some use exactly that design for the prodders on catamarans, you want a union joint there, then the
Prodders takes compression loads only, else it will be a monstrous bowsprit bcs of the side loads.

I didn't understand which line broke, the ones holding down the prodder take the load of a forestay, the bridle the load of the anchor chain.

They should easily hold the boat in a tidal stream, for sure you must take care against chafe

[arsenelupiga]

attach spi halyard to bow sprit. In violent currents vs wind conditions loosen halyard a bit to lower max forces on bridle and bow sprit wires.

We have no issues in such conditions except bridle gets chafed a bit and is now after 6 years due for replacement.

[Tin Tin]

The prodder is on a swivel that lets it fold down when pressure is put on the stays. This is the reason they use bungy / shock cord to hold the prodder up, not a fixed line. Another reason not to leave your gennaker attached when anchoring in fast flowing channels with wind against tide.