Adding Downwind Sails to BR17 - Code Zero and/or Spinnaker, Advice Welcome

[Hardy Wronske]

Looking for advice from anyone with downwind sails on a BR17, or even BR20. Adding Bow Sprit and roller-furling Code Zero to self-tacking BR17 #16 'Eliza' in Los Angeles, California, recently acquired.
Pictures of current setup.
Hardy Wronske
323-309-2041

[Graham W]

Hardy,

If your BR17 is like my BR20, a bowsprit like mine should be fairly easy to install.  Mine looks like a wooden tuning fork, with the tines facing aft.  There's a block of wood securely fixed about 2/5 of the way back along the foredeck, which the tines slip over and to which they are secured with a stout horizontal nut and bolt.  A bobstay under quite a lot of tension holds down the front end of the bowsprit to the towing eye.  Attached a photo showing the general setup.  Note that it doesn't interfere with the self-tacking jib boom.

I've got an asymmetric spinnaker that I can fly off the front of the bowsprit but in practice I rarely use it as it's too difficult to handle when sailing solo.  I much prefer my code zero on an endless line furler as it is relatively easy to unfurl and furl without crew.  It can be poled out on an extra long whisker pole when sailing dead downwind.

The additional benefit of this arrangement is that in stronger winds, I can set a flying jib off the bowsprit furler instead of the code zero.  And I can change one furled sail for the other without leaving the cockpit, thanks to the bottom furler being on an adjustable tack line.

You've probably already seen one of several threads about the code zero https://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,3427.0.html.  Here's a useful one on the flying jib https://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,780.0.html.

[Hardy Wronske]

Thank you for the excellent introduction to your setup Graham W. The sprit looks pretty achievable for a holiday break project.
Who made your sails?
If you are near the boat, I would love to know the general dimensions of your sprit:
- OAL
- Tip to Stem length
- widest width x thickness
Yours looks to be a lot longer than the dims Peter T posted of his BRE:
https://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,1851.msg12287.html#msg12287

[Graham W]

Hardy,
Bowsprit measurements as follows:

Width at tip 60mm
Width in the middle 150mm
Width at back 110mm

Total length 183cm

Thickness an unvarying 37mm

Stem to tip length 120cm

Width of tines 55mm at front, 35mm at back, gap between them an unvarying 40mm

My sails were all made by the yard's standard supplier, Hyde Sails, with the exception of the code zero.  I did exactly as advised by Guy Rossey and had this made by Vega Voiles, who are based in Grau du Roi in the South of France.  See his initial post on the subject here https://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php?msg=5263