Duracell project: Designing a bowsprit from a failed chainplate

For the cruising use to which his former Vendée Globe yacht is now destined, Matt wants to add a bowsprit to Duracell. From the outset, he set himself two constraints: the bowsprit would be fixed, delphinière-style, to avoid complete moving parts, and it would have no underbars, so as not to interfere with the upward movement of the mooring.

The delphinière will have to accommodate a davit for the Duracell anchor, but also support the tack of the asymmetric spinnaker, and the stresses generated by the downwind sail.

Matt works on the subject with Evan, his naval architect friend. They came up with a clever way of reusing the carbon chainplate, originally intended for the shrouds, but whose manufacture had proved too unreliable for such a crucial part. Remaining extremely sturdy, it will handle the stresses of the anchor and spinnaker perfectly.

Matt and Evan make a cardboard model to test the kinematics of the anchor and its ascent, to make sure it doesn't hit the hull.

To refine the project, it's time to cut out the false bow and the rest of the existing crash box. Once these elements have been removed, the model is completed. A hole is drilled to simulate the chain firing point more accurately, where the windlass will be positioned below deck in the chain well. Matt is keen to keep the windlass and chain as far back as possible, to better center the weights.

The first tests were conclusive, so Matt let the project rest to make sure he didn't see any modifications to be made, before starting to build the bowsprit and associated reinforcements, such as the genoa chainplate and code O, which are costly and time-consuming jobs.