Abstract:
A gate like device is hinged to a bow pulpit of a sailboat and acts as a swinging bowsprit to which a spinnaker may be removably affixed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     To sail downwind it is advantageous to use some form of spinnaker. In the past it has been customary to use a spinnaker pole that is either affixed at one end to the mast or to the bow as seen in my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,292,910 and 4,501,217. There are also retracting poles sometimes carried inside the hulls that extend forward to attach to the tack of a spinnaker. Recently as the result of sail developments, the asymmetrical spinnaker, that is one with a defined luff, has proven to be easier to handle and faster in off-wind sailing as opposed to the long established symmetrical spinnaker. The most popular pole is one that extends from the bow usually from a socket in the hull. This means that the spinnaker is only effective on a reach for when going downwind the spinnaker will be blanketed by the mainsail. For racing boats this means a deck mounted pole to extend to weather for this is not only more efficient but it balances the boat. 
     The only suggestions in the prior art of means to extend the luff of a sail other than on line are in the Rockwood U.S. Pat. No. 1,891,555 and in Graham Dalton&#39;s new Open 60 with an articulating bowsprit. These bowsprits that have been developed are either housed on or under the foredeck and require care to get around the forestay deck attachment. Also they must be fairly long to get the necessary projection to weather. In general they are limited in the angle to which the poles may be articulated, generally about twenty degrees from the centerline. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention utilizes an existing structure that is commonly used for deck safety, the bow pulpit, as a base structure for mounting a short length bowsprit device or swinging gate that can lie along the lifelines when not in use. The swinging gate will thus comprise at least a horizontal member interconnected with a vertical support post with the vertical member hinged to the nose upright member of a bow pulpit. The invention enables an articulating bowsprit to be a rigid triangle constructed of stainless tubing instead of a large bulky tube. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 shows the bow of a sailboat with the pulpit attachment is extended position; 
     FIG. 2 is a similar view of the pulpit attachment in stowed position; and 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sailboat with the attachment in use. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to FIG. 1 there is illustrated the forward section of a sailboat  10  having a deck  12 . Mounted on the deck at the bow  14 , is a pulpit generally designated  16 . The pulpit is made up of a U-shaped horizontal rail  18  that has vertical support members  20 ,  21 , and a nose member  22 , each of which is fastened to the deck with integral flange plates  24 ,  25 , and  26 , As illustrated the horizontal rail  18  terminates in flange plates  28 ,  28 ′. 
     A swinging gate or bowsprit  30  is constructed in the form of a triangle. The base of the triangle is suitably hinged to the vertical nose support member  22  by means designated  29 . Bridging post  36  suitably braces the legs  32 ,  34 . At the end of the swinging gate, an eye  38  is secured providing an aperture to which the tack of a spinnaker may be fastened. As seen in FIG. 3, the guy or control line is also attached at this position either to the eye or the cringle in the sail S and is led aft to a fastening on the deck. As is understood in the field, a sheet attaches to the other end of the sail S and is led aft on the other side to another fastening means. 
     As can be seen in FIG. 2, the swing gate may be stowed by bringing it alongside the railing members. The arrangement provides an articulating “bowsprit” that is a rigid right triangle constructed of stainless steel tubing and is much easier to handle than a bulky spinnaker pole. It would also be noted that with the gate folded back along the railing it allows the crew a much safer an convenient attachment and detachment of the spinnaker tack as currently one has to bend over the bow to attach to a pole. 
     In constructing the swinging gate the loads on the gate are readily seen by referring to FIG.  3 . At the end of the gate, there is an upward component and a lateral component the later of which is balanced by the guy line that leads aft. There will also be a longitudinal component that will normally be a force directed toward the bow pulpit. Thus, in many cases normal one inch diameter tubing may not be adequate in come installations. 
     It will be seen that the instant invention provides a relatively simple device that allows the spinnaker to receive more clear air than a centerline bowsprit.