Refitting Hozho or "in over my head"

[Unkle Toad]

so I have made one or two posts but the reality is Im going to have so many questions I can write an encyclopedia when I'm done.

as many might know I got more then a little hosed on the deal getting my boat a few years back and now I really just need to buckle down and get some projects done on it ..

so I will list them here and edit this post as I need to hopefully put link to the latest question.

[Unkle Toad]

first up ok not first but what Im trying to do now. is the Bowsprit.

I have the wood .. really nice piece of doug fir.
what I have run into is when they reglassed the deck there seems to be either a dip right by the samson posts or a bulge in the very tip front of the bow so that the bowsprit will not sit correctly at the age it should.

I have thought of a few options.
1. just fit everything in place and deal with the tip of the sprit being probably 2-3 inches higher then it was originally this would also entail cutting about an inch off the base's of the frame for the bow rail. the extension past the pivot point on the bow is a little longer then the distance to that point from the samson posts.
2. splice/scarf on a piece of wood to take care of the angle down to the deck and keep the bowsprit more flat. (it looks like the retaining bolt that goes through the samson posts and the rear of the bowsprit would end up being pretty close to going through this joint
3. get a newer larger piece of doug fir to build the bowsprit and cut it down to have the angle built in(a much more expensive option)
I am looking for what people think on this and any other suggestions anymore may have.

pictures show how much space there is between the deck and the lumber to put it at about even.

[Orion Jim]

Those photos only illustrate one of your points. You failed to show us what you have at the bow which concerns you. It "appears" that all you have to do is drop the after part of your bowsprit to the deck as the bowsprit routinely rises along its length, as opposed to being parallel to the waterline.
More photos would be very helpful. Good luck!

[Unkle Toad]

can not seem to get a picture which illustrates this problem very well so I played with some graphics to show it .. first img shows how the pieces fit together with no modification as you can see the bow rail does not sit flat on the bowsprit.
second image shows how it all fits nicely if I somehow raise the back end of the bowsprit. another option is just to cut off a little (like 1.5 inches) of the base of the rail I hope this helps diagram/explain my problem.

[Paul L]

Was the old bowsprit level or did it go upward?
Do am image search at Google for bowsprit. You will hundreds of photos of bowsprits not parallel to the water.

[Unkle Toad]

never saw it together but the bowsprits on these guys (mariner 31) are definatly upswept .. my concern is the difference in angles to get the plate on the bow railing to sit flat on the bowsprit. Ill have to cut off 1 1/2-2 inches of the rail foot in the back to make it all sit flat if I run the bowsprit flat along the deck. which is fine if that is what I ahve to do .. just making sure im not doing something stupid before I start cutting things.

[Captsteve53]

The below link if it's allowed through the system is for an article on how to replace the bow sprit on your yacht (with pictures) -good article

Mariner 31 - Bowsprit Installation

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by Unkle Toad

can not seem to get a picture which illustrates this problem very well so I played with some graphics to show it .. first img shows how the pieces fit together with no modification as you can see the bow rail does not sit flat on the bowsprit.
second image shows how it all fits nicely if I somehow raise the back end of the bowsprit. another option is just to cut off a little (like 1.5 inches) of the base of the rail I hope this helps diagram/explain my problem.

I like your diagrams. I would go with option 2 with spacers under the sprit to your Samson post or build up the deck with glass or glass over ply if you want your sprit to be flush on the deck. Wherever wood meets the deck there is always the chance for rot so I'd use spacers. Maybe some nice small pieces of teak. Good luck in whichever avenue you take.

kind regards,

[SkiprJohn]

If you have a Mariner I have some extra booms and a mizzen mast for it. Just have to figure out how to ship from Hawaii.

[SkiprJohn]

I think another thing to consider is the rest of your rigging. If your rigging at the aft lowers is extended to its limits and your masts are forward of vertical you may need to rethink and go with your diagram option 1.