Measuring

Although by design Olive is a CW 34 when fitted with her bowsprit and davitts she measures something like 44ft LOA. Sinec our previous boat was only 31 ft this represents a considerable increase in mooring cost.

So bowsprit and davits had to go

The davits were easy and we will refit them for any use more than day sailing.

The bowprit was another matter

Its about 10ft long as thick as a young tree trunk - in fact it is a young tree trunk. However we managed it. Being without bowsprit means that the topmast (sailors of Bermudian rig shoul pass over this bit) is not fully stayed.

So that will have to go next.

Not quite as drastic as it may seem - I will only lose 2 of the seven available sails, although the mizzen topsail is unlikely to see much use.

Thinking about it since the mizzen mast is longer than the mainmast I guess it will become the main and what was the main will become a foremast.

So I will have a gaff rigged schooner.

Which is unusual, I doubt there are many CW34s that are rigged like that

Will it work?

I'll let you know.

But at least I've got the LOA down to 10.9 m which saves me best part of £500 a year mooring fees.