New here, so first let me introduce myself. I´m froim
Argentina and actually live in Buenos Aires. Been sailing since I was 12 and my father (passionate of boats) bought me a
hobie cat 14, had several
boats (motor and sail) and now have a
Bavaria cruiser 46 since new (2008) Love cruising and
racing and I´ve done several passages , coastal and off shore, including four Buenos Aires - Rio de Janeiro regattas (1190 nm).
Now to the post: bowsprits in a sailboat have a purpose, and it is to deploy a reaching or downwind sail ahead of the staysail, been that a
gennaker, code 0, asymetrical
spinnaker, reacher or any other free flyng sail, mostly in light or moderate winds. Over the years boat manufacturers started adding stuff like chain rollers,
anchor fittings and other things , but it´s main purpose remains.
They´re not meant to be pretty or good looking, just functional, some have a stay, some have just a
halyard. Add a block at it´s end with a line and a stopper and you can clamp on it a top-down
furler that you can control from the
cockpit.
Allmost all modern sailboats, not only racers, have them standard or optional
And yes, they are an excellent place , if big enough, to sit and wacht
dolphins or drink a
beer looking at the sunset after a good sail.
Someone people say they are dangerous, but , if you don´t know how to use it, even a pencil is dangerous................