Bow Roller Shaft

[Parfait's Provider]

I pulled the cap off the bow roller shaft with the thought that I would pull the shaft and replace the rollers. Fortunately, I wasn't in a hurry. The shaft had been there a long time, maybe 27 years? I don't know what the original rollers were, but these are not hard as nails and had worn through to the shaft.

Pulling that shaft was a job even though the tide was right and I was able to sit on the finger pier and do my thing(s). I hate to report it, but I ended up using vise grips and a hammer, first to rotate the shaft and break it loose from the bowsprit, and then to slowly back it out using the hammer on the vise grips. Needless to say, the bronze shaft is not the same.

However, it cleaned up readily and is solid enough to be reinstalled if flipped over such that the bunged end goes in first and the grooves go under the least used roller, turned such that they won't be supporting the new roller.

I have added threads to the new outboard end of the shaft so that I can mount a nut. It isn't clear how that will be used except that by adding washers, it could jack the shaft out of the bowsprit, or the nut could just be a point to apply some leverage. It will also allow the shaft to be turned without the use of vise grips again.

There is plenty of room inside the teak cap for a proper nut, so I am inclined to add it before capping. No one will ever know it is there unless they have to replace those rollers again.

If there is a downside to this modification, I am missing it.

[Russell]

Ken,

Which style roller do you have? Some CDs came with those fancy Spartan bronze rollers, some came with a much more simple setup. Mine came with some sort of plastic/rubber grey rollers that were simply attached via threaded rod which passe through the entire bowsprit. I just recently built a new bowsprit and sprung a mint for a pair of spartan bronze rollers, so very interested in future maintence issues, but I cannot tell which setup you may be refering to.

[Parfait's Provider]

Russell,

From your description, I guess the rollers I am removing must be the originals. They are grey and somewhat mushy. I priced the Spartan rollers after seeing a pair on a Robinhood 40 and decided that if I really wanted bronze rollers from Spartan, I should buy the Robinhood. They are both gorgeous.

I will be installing non-tradional black Windline W-30 rollers. They are cast elastomer and are very hard. The chain is not likely to sink into the roller.
https://windline.com/index.php?act=viewdetails&mod=160

I hope that is all I have to do to get anchor retrieval down to just a dirty job and not nearly impossible. If this doesn't fix it, I'll be going for cantilevered rollers on a tilting platform. You would think that with a windlass there wouldn't be a problem, but with soft rollers, there sure is.

For those who might be interested, prices have dropped like a rock. Windline has them for $38, dealers have them as high as $100+.

[Phil Shedd]

Ken


A number of years ago I replaced the rollers . The rubber ones were shot.


I made a new set and replaced the brass shaft with stainless.



This is the finish product. Cetol came later as this was done in March.




Phil

[Parfait's Provider]

Those new rollers are too nice to put chain across. Your old ones are slightly worse than mine. Parfait's portside roller is about like yours.

Thanks,

[Matt Cawthorne]

My 1982 CD-36 came with the bronze mount/guide/roller. The only problem that I have is that it is noisy. As the boat tacks back and forth the bronze roller shifts along the shaft and when the roller hits the housing there is a sound like a mallet hitting the bowsprit. This is not good for sleep. Also as the chain slides in the roller itself, there is a grinding/mallet sound that telegraphs through the entire boat. I was thinking of switching to rubber rollers to resolve these problems.

Every few years I disassemble the rollers and add some nylon or rubber washers between the end of the roller and the housing. This quiets things quite a bit.


Matt

[Como No Cruising]

Como No has the Spartan Bronze anchor rollers. After extensive use we dismantled them recently and found minimal to non existant wear. We cleaned them up and coated the stainless steel axles with dry lube. Our vessel is a 1986 model and has had lots of use on the starboard side anchor roller. It really is good as new. Great quality equiptment.

As far as noise is concerned, we have no issue. We always use a double bridle anchor snubber.

With the Spartan roller you will never need another.

Will & Annie
Como No CD-40
Kemah, Texas