I've been asked to do a drawing of our retractable bowsprit on Fireworks. This one is about Mark Ill - and there is probably a better system that someone can come up with.

Our system works pretty well - the shock chord retracts the pole well and you don't have slack tack line hanging out of your shoot. The kicker also stays firm and doesn't cause undue water disturbance upwind.

With this set-up the forward hand yanks the halyard while the skipper pulls the tack line (only 1 - 6 metres of rope). You can design it so the halyard runs forward from the mast to a pulley tied to the tack line near the bow, back to and up the mast, then, when you pull the halyard, the bowsprit comes out with the kite attached, so the kite goes up and out at the same time ... pretty nifty, but 1 prefer to have two ropes as it gives the old bloke at the back something to do. My drawing is on the opposite page and explanations below. Hope you can follow ill Good luck ... enjoy!

Alan Carwardine

PS If anyone would like a kit that they can install themselves or give to a boat builder, just give me a call on 07 3348 3436.

KEY TO DIAGRAM BELOW

1. End Plug - held in by bolt.
2. Ronstan Exit Block - RF1950.
3. 5132" rivets.
4. 114" packers.
5. Ronstan Midget Block (RF666) - tied through Bowsprit behind nylon stopper (unlike drawing), for the shock cord.
6. Ronstan Check Block (RF1978) riveted on to glass tube.
7. Nylon Bush - held into glass tube by 3 x 3116" x 318" bolts, to be secured in when the Bowsprit is put into the glass tube.
8. Nylon Bush - riveted to the end of the Bowsprit with a groove in it to allow it to pass by the rivets of the Check Block when the Bowsprit is being put in to the glass tube.
9. Elongated hole drilled through the glass tube.
10. 3132" 7 x 19 wire - swaged and bogged into bow.
11. Nylon stopper - riveted to the Bowsprit.
12. 3116" bolt - passing through the front of the upper Exit Block and the End Plug and secured with the washer and Dome Nut.
13. Stopper knot - joining the shock cord to the Kicker.

1. 4mm shock cord.
2. 6.5m of 4mm Spectra - this is the Tack Line.
3. 4mm Spectra - this is the Kicker (gets joined to the wire).
4. the Tack Line runs outside the Bowsprit, through the elongated hole and the Check Block.