Hunter 27 (1980) Bow Pulpit

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Kevin

I need to replace the bow pulpit with one that can handle a furling assembly, so that the jib clears when we tack. All ideas and comments welcome. Thanks. Kevin kpc1927@aol.com
 
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Doug T.

Raise the tack

Why not simply raise the tack of the sail so that the entire sail is higher off the deck? You can either figure a way to raise the furler higher (check with the manufacturer for ways to do that), or you can add a short tack pendant between the sail's tack and the furler's tack attachment. Either of these will be a hell of a lot cheaper and easier than finding a different bow pulpit to fit on your boat!! Actually, the only time the height of the bow pulpit is even going to matter is when on a run with your jib all the way out. In that case, the influence of the bow pulpit on the shape of the jib really won't matter very much anyway.
 
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David Foster

Concur with Doug

Talked this over with our sailmaker, who said pretty much what Doug did, even if the sail is hanked on and cut to sweep the deck. David LAdy Lillie
 
Jan 22, 2003
744
Hunter 25_73-83 Burlington NJ
Better solution.

Take the whole pulpit right the h*ll off. With a furler you don't need it-- you never really have to go forward. You'll have better sail clearance and better visibility (and the H27 can have a really bad baby-crib look with too much lifeline/pulpit/child netting, etc.). To be REALLY cheap you could just run the forward end of the lifeline down to the black metal toerail and be done with it. Plug the old holes with 5-minute epoxy and sand it flush. End of problem.
 
Jan 22, 2003
744
Hunter 25_73-83 Burlington NJ
Clarification.

I should make it clear that my reason for radically suggesting taking the pulpit right off is to keep from raising the CE of the sail plan any more than it is already. The H-27 is notorious for being roly-poly and part of it is due to a too-high boom (due to Hunter marketing desiring standing headroom in cockpit). When I hear of people raising it still more to accommodate Bimini tops is makes my blood boil. The very LAST thing you should want to do is to recut any sail on an older H-27 if doing so raises the centre of effort of the sail plan, even by 6 inches. JC 2
 
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David Foster

Thanks, John

for the insight that our h27's have a high sail plan. David Lady Lillie
 
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Andy

For what it's worth

As a relative newbie and not a techo-type, please take this as a comment and observation only. Our 82 has a pulpit joined at the lower horizontal member. Our Streamstay furler's spool is at this level. I believe this was installed when the boat was new or soon after as the original 110 jib was never modified for the system. Apparently, the former owners only used the 150 gen. We have had the original jib redone for roller furling and added a UV cover. Both sails seem, to my inexperienced eyes and hands, to work with little trouble. On occasion, especially in very light air, the gen will hang a bit on the pulpit when changing tacks but creative cussing seems to mitigate the problem. Not having seen the boat when new I cannot say what was changed to accomodate the roller furling. The sailmaker who modified the jib only asked for the distance of the luff which was 36' 1". I imagine that the cutting for the UV cover was also based on that measurement. Andy s/v Baroque
 
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Doug T.

DON'T REMOVE BOW PULPIT!!!

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with JC on removing the bow pulpit altogether. The very last thing that I want to do is fall off the boat!!! Just because you have a furler doesn't mean you won't have to go forward. What do you do when the furler jams??? (It will.) If you have a spinnaker, you'll go forward often. One also has to go forward to anchor and to dock and to moor and you have to do that in all kinds of conditions, good and bad. The bow pulpit gives you a solid place to hang on when the seas and weather are rough. Without it, all you have are the leftover lifelines and the jib & headstay for handholds -- these don't provide the same kind of security and safety as 1" SS tubing. Also, I guess ABYC standards are always open to interpretation, but paragraph H-41.6.1 states:"The outside periphery of weather decks, normally intended to be occupied while the boat is underway, shall be equipped with one or more of the following; a. life rails, deck rails, or life lines, b. handhold devices or grab rails, c. stern rails, bow rails, or d. coaming, gunwale, bulwark, or enclosure of at least 24 inches (610mm) above the deck." I would argue that the foredeck qualifies as a place that is "intended to be occupied while the boat is underway." H-41.6.3.1 further emphasizes the height requirement: "The minimum height of a life or deck rail or life line shall be 24 inches (610mm) above the deck." Personally, I'd rather sail ON a roly-poly boat than fall OFF a stable one.
 
Jan 22, 2003
744
Hunter 25_73-83 Burlington NJ
Performance consideration.

Let's just remember the ABYC standards are for BUILDERS, not OWNERS. Once the boat is sold the owner can do anything he wants to it. In the '60s lifelines were rare. We sailed our 31' yawl with no lifelines at all (picture a baby Cherubini 44 the size of a Hunter 33 but weighing only 5000 lbs and holding heel angles to make a Hunter 25 look like a lead sled). People did not fall overboard because they knew there was no system (crutch) for them to rely upon. Our 44 cutter had NO roller furling and the only way to bring in the outer jib was to straddle the bowsprit about 4 ft forward of the deck. In gnarly weather this meant getting your feet wet. Yet with that so-called cruising boat we once beat the Navy Academy's 65-ft Herreschoff schooner tack for tack because we could maintain tight controls on sail trim. I apologise, and you will excuse me-- I guess I just like what gets pejoratively called 'performance cruising' --but then I probably got that from my old man. [wink] JC
 
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