What is this ?

[David Morton]

I recently was lucky to come into possession of a 1930 Herreshoff 12 1/2. She is gaff rigged with club footed jib and I am excited to have her. Among the spars and accessory pieces was this curved piece that I can't figure out. It is asymmetrical in its curvature and somewhat tapered at one end. There is a hook type fitting at one end and an adjustable, pinned, slot fitting at the other. Has anyone seen anything like this before?

Completely befuddled,
David

[Jim Walsh]

I think it’s a club for a self-tending headsail as can be seen in this line drawing.

[casampson]

That is a jib club, most likely for a Bullseye. It was not OEM for your H12. Please post some pictures of your beautiful new boat -- which many consider the best small boat ever built.

[David Morton]

it’s definitely not the jib club, as i’ve got another spar that clearly is and I can’t think of why a jib club should be curved as this piece is. Still a mystery.
Thanks for the compliments. I thought of posting some pictures but may wait until she is afloat.

[John Stone]

Well, I don’t know but I am with Jim W. If that’s what it is, it’s curved to match the shape of the jib. I recommend you contact Maynard Bray at WoodenBoat Magazine. He has been the curator at the Hereshoff museum. He’ll know. He can also be reached through Off Center Harbor. They will likely take an interest in your boat.

[Joe Myerson]

David,
Congratulations on your acquisition. Sailing on Buzzards Bay since I was 11 years old, I have grown up watching beautiful H12s, and I even crewed on a few as a teenager. I agree that the spar you have is curved to match the curvature of the jib. It might not be the original club, but that's what it looks like to me.
Best of luck with your new beauty!
--Joe

[David Morton]

I think you are correct and I am wrong, as I can see the slotted end fitting into the forestay and the other end fitting into the an eye on the leech or clew. Very interesting,. I also have a straight jib club foot, similar to that on my CD31. Never occurred to me that a club could be fitted somewhere mid-luff, as pictured on that Bullseye. Perhaps useful in keeping the jib out when running with the wind, rather than a whisker pole. I learn something new every time I log on this board!
Anybody sail a small gaff rigged boat? Looking for tips, as my only experience is with Marconi rigs.

David

[David Morton]

Well, I couldn't help myself. Here's a picture of EvenFall from a couple of summers ago.

[David Morton]

Folks on the Herreshoff Registry forum also confirm that it is a jib club, called a camber club, that was used on those later model Bullseye that did not utilize a club foot. Not sure how it ended up with me, but am glad to have it. It's a pretty piece. You can see from my photo that my EvenFall is an earlier Herreshoff Manufacturing boat of around 1930 vintage that was built with a club foot and most likely didn't include the camber club as part of its rigging. Wonder if it just got included in the sale by mistake.
You don't see the club foot in the photo, as the jib is hanked on and usually rolled up on the club and stashed in the cockpit when sitting on the mooring and not in use.

[John Stone]

Lovely boat David.

One of my favorite books is Hand, Reef, and Steer by Tom Cunliffe. A classic how-to for gaff rig and classic boats. Lots of good information from running and standing rigging to techniques under sail. Even for those without a gaffer it is a fascinating and interesting book with gorgeous pictures and drawings.

[David Morton]

John, that's a great book and sitting on my bookshelf as we speak. It does speak a bit more to larger boats than mine, but some of the principles apply. I think what I really need to do is get her in the water and sail! Hoping to find a 12 1/2 sailor nearby to help mentor me. Not as commonplace up here in Maine as down south in Buzzard's Bay, but there are still a few around, though the marconi rigged seems to be more popular locally. All this anticipation is making for a long, cold winter...

David

[John Stone]

David, copy. I’m sure there are better books for the H12. You are correct, if you can find a knowledgeable and thoughtful H12 sailor to guide you along. There will be a lot more to learn about that boat than just sailing.

[Steve Darwin]

Your mystery spar is definitely a "jib club" from a Bull's Eye; it attaches to the forestay, and one must set it up from the foredeck after the jib has been raised (inconvenient). When I owned a Bull's Eye, I replaced the club with a jib boom permanently attached to the stem head, like in the H12 1/2, and easily adaptable to roller furling.