Who manufactured the Corbin bowsprits and if they are still available. Mine has some small cracks and I am considering whether to repair or replace it. Sim Hoggarth (#143, Alianna)
a. Sorry, I do not know. Mine is in good shape. If I was him I would call a marine stainless fabricator for a repair Stephen Lefnesky (#187, Toboggan).
b. The original bowsprits were made of stainless steel by a company called Tops . Tops was located in Michigan, I think; not sure where or if they are still in business. Mike Cashin (#045, Sea Dream).
c. Some of the Toronto area owners had bowsprits made by Klacko Spars. I imagine they could repair or replace your unit. They also made a lot of other stainless steel parts for the Corbin. http://www.klackospars.com/ Regards, David Salter (#050, Opportunity).
d. My wife Wendy and I have a Corbin 39, hull number 195 -a PH-CC. We bought our boat in Nassau Dec. 2010 and keep it at Grand Bahamas. I expect that we have the same bow sprit. I do not know who built it. Shortly after we bought our boat we had to have the bobstay replaced. The bobstay had been a threaded rod. We replaced it with a combination of rod and chain (at the water). A welder/machinist in Marsh Harbour, Abacos did the work for us. David Hibbard (#195, Endorphin).
e. While I was on the hard in Beaufort NC (Bock Marine) during 2006, I found a 1/4" wall 3" in diameter SS bowsprit from an old Abekin Ramussen ketch that had fallen onto the ground. Haggling with Kenny Bock......for $350 it was soon on the ground under Two Pelican's bow!! It weighed a ton. I shortened and sleeved the 'arms' so we could align it to the Corbin's hull before welding; built a scaffolding to sit it on and then bolted it on . There are 8 x 3/8" bolts on each attachment plate, through bolted into the fwd deck locker above the airex core, backed up with equivalent sized 3/8" thick backing plates!! I used an old chainplate welded to a fitted 12" x 12" ss plate to secure the bobstay which is a 1" ss solid rod. The end of the chainplate pokes through the hull while the plate is well expoxied into the inside of the hull. A bead of 5200 around the protruding chain plate finished the job. Moving the whole foretriangle fwd 48 inches has eliminated all the weather helm. I removed the staysail boom; moved the staysail inner stay at deck level to the old forestay fitting at the bow, and fitted a new attachment higher up on the mast. I now have a very useable inner foretriangle as well . Two deck tracks for the sheets finished the job. Fair winds and calm seas, Jeremy Parrett (#101, Two Pelican) [Editor's Note: The headstay will try to pull the bowsprit aftward. You must secure the sprit very securely to the hull and to the deck to prevent this from happening.]
f. See photos of (#069, Joint Effort).
g. The name of the company that did the bowsprits was Tops-In-Quality in Michigan I think.... I do not know if they are still in business. Have a wonderful day. Marius Corbin