Bow Sprit Removal CD28

[jamorese]

Trying to remove my wood Bow Sprit on my CD28. I was able to get most of the stainless steel bolts out but had to cut two nuts off with an abraisive wheel. The two bolts are still in the wood and flush with the steel plate below the sprit. It doesn't appear that they are threaded into the steel plate. The bow sprit does not want to budge and my goal is to remove in one piece to use as a template and not mess up the gelcote. Any one have any experience replacing their bow sprit?

[tjr818]

I had a similar problem years ago on a different type of boat, but an old timer told be to tighten the bobstay and come back in the morning. That slow steady pressure did the trick. Does the 28 have a bobstay? if not try tightening the forestay.

[Oswego John]

Yes. Apply abnormal pressure with the bobstay or stay. In the morning, give the bow sprit a few smart whacks with a deadblow hammer or hold a piece of wood against the sprit and whack it with a heavy object. Sometimes jarring it will break the seal.

Good luck,
O J

[Steve Laume]

Before you put too much pressure on the thing, with turnbuckles, I would soften up the adhesive as much as you can. Anti Bond will even soften up 5200 if you can get it in the right place. Anti Bond and a sharp blade, worked under as many edges should help. Then you can crank on some pressure and keep working at increasing the area that you could soften and cut. A sharp putty knife and a small hammer will work well to reach in deep.

Don't forget to tie off a halyard for when the thing lets go, if the mast is still up, Steve.

[jamorese]

Thanks for the advice. I removed the bob stay before trying to remove. I will reattach and tighten it up. As for the mast, It has been down since Labor day...Lake Ontario is VERY low.

[Thundernyc]

Hi! Any luck in the end getting it off? We are doing the same thing. 1984 CD28. Sprit broke in half during Sandy, so can't use forestay or bobstay for pressure. Bolts all off, and she won't budge. Remarkable strength for that adhesive.

[Oswego John]

ThunderNYC (nice name)

Since your bow sprit is broken, no need to try to save it in one piece. Try using the pieces to make a template to use for a new sprit.

Here is an alternate way to remove the part that is still bonded to the bow.. Make sure that any hardware (bolts) are removed. I suppose that the hull is on the hard.

Use an electric, hand held power planer. Set the blade depth on coarse for heavy stock removal. As you get down to the bottom of the sprit, set the blade depth for very shallow stock removal.

When just about all of the wood is removed, scratch the bonded surface with a sharp edge and apply a generous amount of Anti-Bond or similar softener to the bonding agent.

Scrape off the softened adhesive. Sand, prime and attach the new sprit.

Good luck with your project.
O J

[jamorese]

Tighting the bobstay till bar tight I was able to get the aft part of the bow sprit to release by using a a flat pry bar with a piece of plasitc under the prybar so I didn't gouge the gelcote . It is still holding on where the bow attaches. Hitting with a dead blow hammer yeilded no results. I am waiting fo the weather to warm a bit then I plan on taking a hack saw blade and cutting along the seam where it attaches to the point of the bow and using a bottle jack and a 4x4 to put pressure under the bobstay to release. It looks like a silicone caulk was used to seal it not 5200.

[Ron M.]

perhaps some cribbing, a 4x4 post and a bottle jack from below........ensure the post is plumb so it won't kick

[John Stone]

Hi,
I took the bow sprint and steel backing plate out of my Cape Dory 36 Far Reach. It was difficult to be sure. I cut wooden wedges and drove the under the edge of the sprit tapping them in with a dead-blow hammer. I used a dremel multi tool to cut into the bedding along the edge of the sprit. I also used a small hand saw that I would insert under the sprit where the wedge lifted it up and I would saw back and forth and then advance the wedges and repeat as necessary. I think my sprit was bedded with 5200 by the PO. It was difficult work. Be careful about just trying to leverage it off. If your sprit is bedded with 5200 you can literally tear the gelcoat off. I tore off a small two inch long piece at the very end. It was not difficult to repair since I planned on repainting the deck anyway.

Here is a link to the documentation I kept along with a few photos. Getting the steel backing plate out was equally difficult. But it finally yielded to continued effort. Take your time, apply pressure, look at what you are doing, repeat, etc. Don't get in a hurry.

http://www.farreachvoyages.com/projects ... ation.html

Good luck