E31 Independence bowsprit performance

[mandofish]

Hi,

I recently acquired an E31 Independence, hull #29, HYDRA! Very excited about the boat but there is a lot of repair, restoration, and modification ahead of me. I understand the E31 came as either a sloop, or as a cutter with a bowsprit...mine is the sloop model. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how much the bowsprit improves the performance of the E31 over the sloop version. Is it worth the time, effort, and $ to add a bowsprit? I will be adding an inner forestay regardless, so thought I would look into the bowsprit option if it significantly improves the boat handling on this model. Any advice or experience with this would be appreciated!

 

[Emerald]

Hi,

congrats on a great purchase! In my highly biased opinion, you're now the proud owner of one of the neatest little cruisers out there So, regarding the sloop versus cutter rigs of this fine yacht, first read this thread to help decide what you would like to do, but with wanting to add the inner stay, I'd say go all the way and do the bowsprit:

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?11674-buying-e-31-independence

As you will note, I'm a big fan of the cutter layout. Many of us have either built or are building (I'm in the building process) new bowsprits for our E31s. If you decide to do this, your challenge will be proper fixtures for the bob and whisker stays and other related bowsprit hardware (kranze iron) and you'll also get into a new (longer) forestay. This is all doable, and could be a fun project. Here's a link to a foundry you'll probably want to talk to if you go this route:

http://www.porttownsendfoundry.com/kranze.htm

Hopefully others will chime in here, but if you suffer from the same insanity bug I do, go for it!

 

[mandofish]

Thanks David, I'm truly in love with the E31, and after shopping for a cruising boat for years, was incredibly lucky to find this one at an incredible price. Looking forward to cruising her to Mexico and beyond.

I really like the bowsprit and cutter option, and it looks pretty to boot. I'm just trying to determine how much the bowsprit/cutter truly improves performance over just installing an inner forestay back from the existing stem-attached forestay. The bowsprit would add substantial cost to the project, not to mention higher slip fees ever after. Is it worth it? Was hoping someone on the forum would be able to comment on experience withthe two rigs on this model. I realize that's a long shot given the very few number of E31s out there.

If I do decide to go with the bowsprit option, how long is yours? How thick is the sprit? Did you go laminated wood or solid beam?

 

[Randy Rutledge]

You might try to find a E31 with sprit and hitch a ride to check it out for yourself. Opinions are good but a ride would be worth a thousand words. I am sure someone out there has an E31 with a sprit that would love to show her off. I know I love showing my boats to other owners.

 

[Emerald]

[snip]

If I do decide to go with the bowsprit option, how long is yours? How thick is the sprit? Did you go laminated wood or solid beam?

Mine is 6' 3" and at the maximum dimension, about 4.75" square. Laminating is standard on these boats. I believe the original material was sitka spruce. You could also look at douglas fir, and while heavier, some have used teak for its rot resistance.

If you add the inner stay, I think you will find that to use the lug that I expect you may have for one on your mast, and keeping it properly parallel to the forestay, that the slot is tight, and you'd want the bowsprit to both move the pair of stays forward in location, change the angle slightly, and increase the slot a bit also.

 

[Loren Beach]

Carbon Fiber, Helium Injected?

Mine is 6' 3" and at the maximum dimension, about 4.75" square. Laminating is standard on these boats. I believe the original material was sitka spruce. You could also look at douglas fir, and while heavier, some have used teak for its rot resistance.

If you add the inner stay, I think you will find that to use the lug that I expect you may have for one on your mast, and keeping it properly parallel to the forestay, that the slot is tight, and you'd want the bowsprit to both move the pair of stays forward in location, change the angle slightly, and increase the slot a bit also.

Strictly in the "FWIW" dept....
Back in the 80's, NA Ray Richards designed a 26 footer for Ranger Boats up in Kent, WA. It was a cruiser with some nice traditional character to its topside/cabin looks, but with a modern underbody. It was a longer fixed foil keel with a well-shaped CB that allowed trailering and sailing into shallow water; internal lead ballast.
It had a bowsprit, and I recall being dismayed (at first) to see that bowsprit done in molded-out FRP. :0

I got over my initial reaction and got to liking it, and, for a rather low production numbers boat, it really made the most sense. I forget just how thick the layup was, but it much have been at least 3'8", and with the sides, it was perfectly stiff, and had great molded-in non skid.

I would not advise this for an E-31C, with it's general "wood look" but I do wonder if a bowsprit could be laid up with a foam core and then the top layer done in 1/4" teak. After all, keeping a lot of extra weight off the bow would seem to be a very good thing.

Given that I like working with composites, I guess this is about par for an idea... !