Bow Sprite Replacement Project

[Keith]

Here is the bow sprit before demolition. It doesn't look to bad, right. It is oak with a teak piece on to for aesthetics. The piece of teak is solid other then the crack down the middle. The oak! well read on.

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Here are the only tools that I used. Note that the six large screws that bind the sprit to the deck and steel support plate below are still in place. I simply pounded the screwdriver into the wood and pried out chunks. At one point I thought it was raining because the screwdriver going in to the saturated wood sprayed me. This task took about a half hour. See the nice pile of sprit chunks. Note: the dark ones are very saturated and the light ones are solid wood.

IMG_1146.jpg (3.18 MiB) Viewed 1430 times

Here is what was left. Note: the dark color at the bottom right was the area that was most saturated. The left side and moving forward toward the bow was actually quite solid. My method was working so well that I just continued on the solid or relatively solid areas until the sprit was free.

IMG_1160.jpg (1.88 MiB) Viewed 1430 times

The sprit is 53" x 10 1/2 ' x 1 3/4'. A solid piece of teak is around $500 a laminated piece is about half. Guess which one I'm going with. It should also actually be stronger. I'll post more when I actually get the laminate piece and start to work it into shape.

My next post will be of the rusted metal support plate removal. Stay tuned!!!

[tjr818]

That must have been Red Oak, very nice for furniture, but no good outdoors. You are well on your way. Best of luck. Keep those pictures coming.

[Jeff and Sarah]

Projects like this require repeating the mantra "boats are fun" over and over until you actually start to believe it. It looks like you are off to a great start. I bet the first sail of the season with your new bow sprit will be especially satisfying.

[Jim Walsh]

Good job! Thanks for documenting. These projects are a big help to those who find themselves with the same predicament. Many times it gives them the confidence to proceed on their own rather than needlessly involve a "professional".
I'm sure removing the backing plate will be lots of fun Good luck.

[Ron M.]

the most difficult part of the bow sprit backing plate replacement is digging out the re-bar imbedded at the point of the bow.
Mine was well encapsulated in fiberglass resin and goop.
Very uncomfortable working in that small enclosed space. I found a sharp chisel and drill bit extensions preferable to using power tools because of the clouds of nasty dust they produce.
Have fun with that project.

[hilbert]

The white oak bowsprit on my boat was in better shape and I was able to use tension on the the bobstay and a crow bar to pry it loose.



To remove the backing plate with a minimum of dust, I mostly used a chisel, hammer and a Variable Speed Oscillating Multi-Tool from Harbor Freight. It was slow work.



To avoid materials that rust, decay or require much maintenance, I constructed the new backing plate from 3/8" GPO3. I used the same material for the outer skin of the bowsprit, with a white oak core.




I added stainless to protect the soft edges and along the chain path. I'm planning to finishing installation in the Spring.



I'm looking forward to seeing your progress and I'm interested to know what material you will use as a sealant between the deck and bowsprit.
Ideally, I would like to find a sealant that is not an adhesive.

Good luck with your project and best wishes for a Happy New Year!

[Jim Walsh]

Hilbert,
Nice neat job so far. Very resourceful solution to a difficult design problem.

[Keith]

I finally found some time to post the pics of the bow support plate removal. The first two show the condition of the bow support plate in the boat.

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Here are the tools. I found the sander with the cutting blade to be very effective and it created very little dust. The only time it did create dust was when the motor fan exhaust blew on the dust pile that collected at the bottom. This was kept to a minimum by vacuuming regularly. The sander with cutting blade was used for 95% of the cutting. Only at the very end did I need to use the long screw driver and hammer when the cutting tool would no longer fit into the very top point of the bow area.

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I tried to add more attachments but for some reason it is only allowing 3 at a time so I will simply reply to this thread again. See you in a few minutes

[Keith]

Back again with more pics of the project. Here is the rod portion of the support plate starting to be exposed.

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Working up the middle to expose more of the rod.

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The rod is almost completely exposed.

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Again limited to three pics so see you in a few minutes with the rest.

[Keith]

Here are the final three pics for now. I'll followup in the coming weeks/months as I start to fabricate the new bowsprit and support plate. The next task was to cut out all of the material under the rod then to cut the strips of glass at the top that were holding the support plate to the bottom of the deck. This went smoothly until the sander with cutting tool would no longer fit so the last bits had to be cut with the long screw driver and hammer. This was actually the hardest part of the job. with very little room to swing the hammer. After all the glass was cut away it took a little banging and pulling the support plate but it finally dropped right out. Here is the cavity where it used to be.

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Here is the support plate on my basement floor. It is still quite strong even though it is rusted away to almost paper thin in the corners.

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That's it for the demolition portion of the project. A few side notes: Due to the confined space in the anchor locker I worked in 10 to 15 minute stints. Although I did not record the total time I would guestimate that it took 2 to 2 1/2 hours total. I did wear goggles and mask.

I hope that this has been helpful for any of you that are thinking of attacking the bowsprit and support plate removal. Stay tune for the fabrication and assembly. I'm ordering a laminated teak plank (half the price of a solid plank and should be stronger, $260 vs $550) for the bowsprit and G10 plates to make the new support plate. It will be a few weeks before the next posts for the fabrication portion of these two components then the end of March or early April for the assembly to MOONDANCE.

Keith

[tjr818]

Very good work Keith,not something for claustrophobics.
I am not surprised that the plate is still very strong. Rust scares most people and it always appears far worse than it is. Rusted steel expands sevenfold and make the da,age appear to be far worse than it is. !955 Chevys being an exception. Still, on a boat like a Cape Dory, it is a job that must be done. Keep those pictures coming.

[seasailor55]

Here is the bow sprit before demolition. It doesn't look to bad, right. It is oak with a teak piece on to for aesthetics. The piece of teak is solid other then the crack down the middle. The oak! well read on.

IMG_1123.jpg

Here are the only tools that I used. Note that the six large screws that bind the sprit to the deck and steel support plate below are still in place. I simply pounded the screwdriver into the wood and pried out chunks. At one point I thought it was raining because the screwdriver going in to the saturated wood sprayed me. This task took about a half hour. See the nice pile of sprit chunks. Note: the dark ones are very saturated and the light ones are solid wood.

IMG_1146.jpg

Here is what was left. Note: the dark color at the bottom right was the area that was most saturated. The left side and moving forward toward the bow was actually quite solid. My method was working so well that I just continued on the solid or relatively solid areas until the sprit was free.

IMG_1160.jpg

The sprit is 53" x 10 1/2 ' x 1 3/4'. A solid piece of teak is around $500 a laminated piece is about half. Guess which one I'm going with. It should also actually be stronger. I'll post more when I actually get the laminate piece and start to work it into shape.

My next post will be of the rusted metal support plate removal. Stay tuned!!!

You might try some IROKO (commonly called African Teak). One of the most durable woods around, and roughly 1/4 the price. I bought two nice 5/4" X 12" X 48" pieces on ebay for $15:00 each plus shipping. $60.00 total delivered to my door! I'm going to use them for a rudder, tiller, and daggerboard for my Sunfish.

[Jim Walsh]

Here is the bow sprit before demolition. It doesn't look to bad, right. It is oak with a teak piece on to for aesthetics. The piece of teak is solid other then the crack down the middle. The oak! well read on.

IMG_1123.jpg

Here are the only tools that I used. Note that the six large screws that bind the sprit to the deck and steel support plate below are still in place. I simply pounded the screwdriver into the wood and pried out chunks. At one point I thought it was raining because the screwdriver going in to the saturated wood sprayed me. This task took about a half hour. See the nice pile of sprit chunks. Note: the dark ones are very saturated and the light ones are solid wood.

IMG_1146.jpg

Here is what was left. Note: the dark color at the bottom right was the area that was most saturated. The left side and moving forward toward the bow was actually quite solid. My method was working so well that I just continued on the solid or relatively solid areas until the sprit was free.

IMG_1160.jpg

The sprit is 53" x 10 1/2 ' x 1 3/4'. A solid piece of teak is around $500 a laminated piece is about half. Guess which one I'm going with. It should also actually be stronger. I'll post more when I actually get the laminate piece and start to work it into shape.

My next post will be of the rusted metal support plate removal. Stay tuned!!!

You might try some IROKO (commonly called African Teak). One of the most durable woods around, and roughly 1/4 the price. I bought two nice 5/4" X 12" X 48" pieces on ebay for $15:00 each plus shipping. $60.00 total delivered to my door! I'm going to use them for a rudder, tiller, and daggerboard for my Sunfish.

That price seems like the bargain of the century. Boatbuilders have been touting iroko as a teak alternative for a half century. It sure pays to shop.

[John Stone]

I've used iroko on the Far Reach for several projects to include the plank for the boom gallows. I left it bare. Looks as good as the day I installed it. Be aware it is very hard and often times has silica deposits that will rapidly dull edged tools. It also has a peppery smelling dust that can irritate your lungs so do wear a respirator when milling/cutting it.

[Steve Laume]

I made a couple of Iroko soap dishes over 20 years ago. They are unfinished and have spent all their time in the shower with hot water, wet and dry cycles almost every day, during that time. They still look good and have stayed flat with no checking or cracks. You can not ask a piece of wood to endure any more than that.

I have also used it for a few items on Raven. You can not tell the difference between Teak and Iroko unless someone gives you a price for the material. Steve.