Puget:
No problem.
The bow sprit is a fiberglass pultrusion, if you were to place a brick on each end a 200 lb guy can stand and jump up and down in the middle (we actually used to do that in the factory where we made them) so they are extremely strong. This one had been sitting in my garage for 20 yrs or so. It was a sample left over from when I designed the crazy things, then designed and built the molds. I think if you go to Home Depot you can find ax replacement handles. The right ones are a fiberglass core with a polypropylene cover molded over the top of the fiberglass. What I did was just took a knife and cut the polypropylene off and used the fiberglass pulltrusion (I'm not likely to ever chop any wood anyway). I then took 1/8 x 2" x 24" piece of aluminum and drilled and tapped eight 8/32 holes evenly spaced into the bottom of the pultrusion and through the aluminum and bolted the pultrusion down to the aluminum. I tapered the front of the aluminum a little to make it cool. I then took another piece of 1/8 x 2 inch aluminum (available at Lowes or Home Depot) and carefully formed it in my vise to fit the shape of the bow about a foot back from the front. I glued onto the inside some of that anti-skid rubber shelf liner stuff so it wouldn't scratch the hull. I then bolted the back brace to the main piece of aluminum.
I then cut a slot into the bottom of the aluminum main aluminum plate (and also a little bit into the bottom of the pultrusion) in order to clear the lifting lug. The lifting lug prevents side to side motion so it needs to be a little snug on the side. I then took some 1/8" x 1/2" (about 6 ft long) aluminum bar and bent it around front AKA bars right on the ends (behind the plastic cover). It was actually pretty easy. I wrapped it around the bar then bolted it to itself with 8/32 flathead screws.
I then ran the 1/8 x 1/2" up to the bow sprit and bolted it down to the bent brace and the main brace (creating a truss) with more 8/32 stainless flat head screws. You will notice there is some bend in the long 1/8" bar, this is because it was a cold day and the boat itself grows and shrinks an inch or two depending on the temperature, so you want to fit it at the desired temp you use the boat in most often (mine was adjusted to the 90+ temps down here in Florida during the summer). CaptnChaos used I think 3/4 sq alum, which is much stronger. The straps to hold the thing down are 1 inch wide (800 lb) straps like you would use to hold your kayak down to your roof. I have two layers, I sewed mine together to make it more fancy, but that's not necessary. I filed a slight indent into the bow of the boat to hold the base of the strap (the hull is about 1/2" thick right there so a .100" groove isn't going to hurt anything). I then ran spectra string (rudder string, which is around 400 lbs test) to basically tie the bowsprit to the bow. The angles of all the strings and webbing give everything its strength, I'm guessing it would take 800 to 1000 lbs lifting force to break it. To test it out I set the bow sprit on a bucket, then went back to the passenger compartment and put most of my weight on it (of course I didn't sit in the boat (not sure the hull itself would withstand that).
I made the thing several years ago and it's been on all 3 of my TI's and I have had no difficulties with it so far in over 2000 sailing miles. As I mentioned earlier I lift the boat by just grabbing the bow sprit on the end and hoisting it up over my head and setting the front of the boat on my T-bar hitch receiver.
If I were to do it again I would probably make it more like Jims using 3/4 sq alum.
Good luck
Bob
