I thought I'd share my latest project with you all. I'm the kind of guy who always launches from the trailer, and rarely wants to spend my time for setup and break down.
I have built a retractable bow spirit for a Hooter sail I have added to my 5.0.(see attachment). The idea behind this is multi-fold. 1. I wanted a pole that could be mounted while the boat is on the trailer. 2. I wanted the sail to be at least hoisted, if not completely furled while the boat is on the trailer. 3. Minimize the setup time.
As a bonus, during the pre-loading process of setting up the pole, the struts push outward on the hulls while the end-pole ropes pull at an angle inward. This results in an negligable force on the overall hulls, only the very front 2ft affected. When the sail is loaded this will help by virtually eliminating mid pole movement that ropes and wire setups have. Once the boat is off the trailer, I simply extend the pole, pin it, preload it, and tighten the already-hoisted Hooter's halyard.
It may be a few added lbs but I think its worth it. I'll be finishing the strut system by powder coating everything soon.
