First off, I appoligize for my ignorance.

There is a metal basket mounted on the front of my boat, and I have no idea what it is for. It's mounted to the front of the dolphin striker?


There is also a shock cord that runs from the dolphin strikcer to a pulley at the stern of the boat, what is this for?
Best illustrated in this picture taken from the stern looking forward.

The shock cord holding the righting (blue and white) line is to retract it while not needed.

the bracket is to hold a battery should you choose to mount a trolling motor to your cat. the blue line is a righting line for when you capsize.

That is a holder for an icechest. An "Igloo Playmate" icebox to be exact.

GARY

Keep the righting line system and get rid of the rack. Your jib sheets will hang up on it.

Gary got it right... the rack is the "Kool Cat" I think it was called. Fits a Playmate cooler

If the cooler rack causes the jib sheets to hang up, what the best way to carry a cooler?

Thanks,
Kent

You can use the rack if you run a bungee from the top of it to the forestay.

Kent, I have a rack for an ice chest that clamps onto the front crossbar near the mast step. It does not interfere with the jib even with the cooler in it. I actually thought the pic was a battery holder for a trolling motor as well. I saw a battery holder that looked very similar to it in a catalog somewhere with the trolling motor mounted under the front crossbar but I am sure Matt and Gary know what it is more so than myself.

Great. Any idea on where I can find one?
Thanks!

Kent, The one I have came with the cat when I bought it. I have no idea where it originally came from. I checked the web and was unable to locate one. My rack looks very similar if not not exactly like the photo above except it has a clamping type bracket for the front crossbar. Makes it easy to yank off if you don't want it on the boat. I originally thought the one in the pic above might have been a battery box because of its mounting position. Hobie sells one for batteries in the catalog that mounts under the front crossbar. It is obvious that a battery would not stay in the one above without a bottom and sides. DUH!!

Thanks, I've been looking for one for a while. I'll keep looking. May have to find another way to put a cooler on the boat.