by Bill Thomson » Tue Nov 24, 2020 10:47 am
Yes, Made one when building my current boat (Scruffie Marine ,Secret 20)
About 50cm of 5mm round stainless (316) rod. Clamped the end in a heavy vice and wrapped it round a steel rod (big screw driver) through 270 degrees in a shallow spiral. Then sawed off the stub end and twisted the eye into line with the rod. Clamped the eye in the vice and bent the rod into a hoop about 20mm larger in diameter than my bowsprit (used a firewood log as a former). put another small eye in the end of the hoop and cut off the excess as before. Twisted and bent the result so that I had the large hoop with the two small ones lying together on the outside, seized them together at the neck using ss seizing wire and leathered the hoop to protect the bowsprit (and hide the blemishes!) The outhaul line is hitched around the neck over the seizing and the jib furler is shackled to the small eyes. Worked without a hitch for the last 4 years and saves any heroic efforts if things snarl up at the sharp end of the bowsprit. I would attach a photo but the technology to reduce it in size has, so far, defeated me.
I only used about 36cm of the rod but the rest is in the come-in-handy box! Certainly cost less than £160.
Bill