I read with interest your comment below about CD making few factory modifications. This has again piqued my interest in finding out more about Second Chance's bowsprit. (I understand you are partial to CD 27s and that you worked at CD before Robinhood).
Most CD27s have a bronze stemhead fitting. I have seen some with owner-added bowsprits, both wood and metal, for better or worse. Second Chance came to me with a beautiful teak bowsprit with all Spartan hardware. It is bigger than the bowsprit on a neighbor's CD28 Sloop. It looks like it could have been a stock bowsprit for a 33 or a 36. It is laminated, not a plank. It is so professionally installed, it looks only as though it could have been installed at the factory (the toerails and rubrails join right up to it). Unlike most bowsprits, it does not support the rig--the forestay attaches to the hull, and there is no bobstay. The only purpose is to hold the anchor, ready for deployment. I have some not-so-clear pictures of it at:
www.bestweb.net/~goldy
My only question is whether this was a factory-installed bowsprit, or the addition of a very skilled carpenter. Any other personal knowledge or insights you may have would be very interesting, as this is the only one like this I know about. The boat is Hull #173 and was apparently delivered through a dealer in Freeport, Long Island, New York in 1980 (based on some sketchy paperwork that came to me with it.
Thanks,
Bill Goldsmith
s/v Second Chance
CD27 #173
1980
goldy@bestweb.net
Question for David Perry re: My CD27's Bowsprit
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