USCG Capt. William Herrmann (www.uscgmaster.com) is a delivery skipper and an American Sailing Association instructor. He is based in St. Petersburg, Florida.
A salty Kiwi named Ross Norgrove once said that the most important tool for the owner of a wooden yawl adorned with a bowsprit is a sharp ax. To some degree, his witty comment holds true for contemporary sailors contemplating a mini-bowsprit.