No Need for a Sprit

[Kamper]

'87 Legend 45

Look carefully on the cover of this month's Sail. There is a Hunter 41 racing with an asym. attached to the bow roller (no anchor). What a clever idea.

My question is; If I were to attach the tack of an asym. to the trip line shackle of my bruce anchor using a block for down haul, would the upwards lifting pressure on the anchor bend the upper guide roller pin? The anchor is heavy and its a light air sail, so why not?

I would snub the anchor in tight but I don't won't to wreck my anchor guides. Drilling a hole in the bow roller is also possible, but that thick SS would be difficult to drill - I think.

What do you think?

Dano
O'side, CA

 

[Alan]

I definitely would not attach the tack to the anchor. Surely you can find some place to attach the block on the roller itself where it can remain. BTW drilling stainless is no problem with the right drill bits and slow speed.

.....or you could add a sprit and get some really good performance

 

[Andy1237]

Use the boweye. Make a coated cable with an eye on each end. Shackle lower end to the bow eye, run through the anchor bow roller. Shackle a tack block to the upper end. Run the tack line through the block; cleat off the end at a bow cleat if you don't plan on making tack adjustments. If you want to be able to loosen (raise) or lower the tack on the fly, run the line back to a winch.

 

[Guest]

Sprit

Hi Dana, the anchor roller on our 1991 P42 has an arched SS rod welded to the top part of the roller frame that I use for the asym spin tack turning block. Prefect place for it with no interference with the genoa head stay and furler. Plenty strong, too.

Terry Cox

 

[Kamper]

Great ideas

Swell ideas, I like the arched rod. I'm wondering how to "adapt" one without welding it on. I figure its a lot of trouble taking off the bow roller and taking it to the welder. Maybe having a ss rod arched and shaped with holes in the ends to bolt on to the top of the roller.

Has anyone taken one off?

Dano
O'side

 

[Guest]

Sprit

Hi Dana, I suppose you could use a piece of SS bar, bend it in an arch or "U", bolt it to the roller frame, then mount a turning block. Removing the roller frame should not be that difficult. Ours is held in place with toe rail bolts. Either way will require some special tools. A drill press works the best for drilling holes. A local machine shop should have the bar and can do drilling for you absent the equipment.

I drilled two quarter inch holes in our roller frame for an anchor locking pin using an electric hand drill. It took awhile, but I did finish the task. Used a long quarter inch SS bolt as the locking pin and added a SS stranded wire lanyard to the bolt head.

Terry Cox

 

[Guest]

Sprit

Hi Dano, sorry for misspelling your name. I think if it were my boat I would remove the roller frame and take it to a machine shop and have them weld on a piece of rod. The rod on our frame is right at the front end.

Terry Cox

 

[Alan]

Same as Terry. My anchor roller had the arched rod on top stock from Hunter also. I used to attach a snatch block to it for the adjustable tack line. I guess Hunter isn't putting this arch on anymore, but a drilled hole will do the job just fine.
BTW, I have remove the anchor roller, it is no big deal just a number of bolts with sealant under it.

 

[Kamper]

Sprit

Terry,

Just for laughs & giggles I looked in the Defender catalog and many of the roller frames had a bolt-on arch bar. I'm going to measure the width on mine and see if just the arch can be bought. That should be a no brainer and cost much less. Then I can drill the two holes on the boat - should be an easy solution and it will put me about a foot in front of the forestay. I have a "tacker" that wraps around the furled jib but I haven't warmed up to it. So I've been attaching a short stranded cable to the forepeak chain plate but it rubs against the furler roller can. Putting it farther forward should be better.

Dano
O'side

 

[Guest]

Sprit

Hi Dano, sounds like you have a good plan in place. Please let me know the outcome.

Terry Cox