Association Forum - Boom Positioning for Newbies

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Boom Positioning for Newbies

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

ajacobs
Deckhand

Member Avatar

9 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/28/2009 : 17:51:19

We've spent several hours searching and reading old posts but we still need help. We aren't sure how to position our boom and still deal with the slot for the slugs on the main. With the mainsail fully raised and filled, the boom naturally falls below the slot for the slugs and the lowest slug falls right in the middle of the slot. We have a standard rig. Is our mainsail too big? It's not possible for us to raise the boom above the slot and have the mainsail properly filled because all along the luff there is a ton of slack.
Amy

AJacobs
Equinox
1983 C-25
Sodus Point, NY

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2402 Posts

Response Posted - 05/28/2009 : 18:00:17

Buy these.

http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=1013

The goose neck needs to be low enough that you can have enough halyard tension so there are NO horizontal wrinkles along the mast, you will not move it again unless you take the boom off.

Edited by - on

mlg3733
Navigator

Members Avatar

118 Posts

Response Posted - 05/28/2009 : 18:02:41

Buy a sail slide stop,7.99 at defender

Edited by - mlg3733 on 05/28/2009 18:04:37

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 05/28/2009 : 18:19:43

I'd say the boom is a few inches too high...you'll need a stop to keep it in place, below the gate, and resist the tension of the halyard...mast gates are a great way to keep the slugs from jumping out of the mast.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 05/28/2009 : 19:56:22

The boom should stay below the slot. If you can't raise the sail enough to get the last slug above the slot, you have 2 options. Lower the sail so the last slug is below the slot, providing you can still tension the luff, or remove the last slug. If you remove the last slug, you can then use that grommet for cunningham set-up.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2009 : 07:23:34

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by pastmember
 Buy these.

http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=1013
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

$44.95???????!!!!!!!*&%#@
I made the same things out of some scrap aluminum. Took me 1/2 hour with hand tools. They look exactly like these and have worked well for the past 20years. maybe I should start selling them for $35+shipping. Any one want to place an order??

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2402 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2009 : 07:53:47

Those of us that have used the SS mast gates admire their quality, of course there are other ways to close the slot.

Edited by - on

Renzo
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2009 : 08:29:53

Maybe my winches will work better if I have them gold plated.

Edited by - on

farrison
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
166 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2009 : 09:18:27

Back to positioning the boom... DO NOT rely on just a slug to hold the boom down against the halyard AND wind load tension. There should be a cleat below the boom in the slot. When you figure out where the boom should be under sail, tie a downhaul line from the boom to this cleat. Just last Sunday, a Catalina 30 driver on our lake was out single handing, and the wind started gusting. The sail loaded up, the boat healed over, and the boom slug went flying. The gooseneck popped out the mast slot and he ended up with BOTH ends of the boom flying around. By the time he got things under control, and the sail down and the boom tied off to the lifelines, he had a 6" long tear in his sail, a torn out sail slug and grommet, and 18" of luff rope torn out, not to mention and a few bumps and bruises. He was 4 miles out and had to motor back in bad gusting winds and 2 ft swells.

Use a Belt and Suspenders, a slug and the downhaul.

Paul

Edited by - on

glen
Captain

Members Avatar

359 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2009 : 09:51:57

Renzo how much for shipping

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2009 : 10:55:12

I use sail stop slugs, but only for stop limits; the downhaul takes all of the load within the movable range.

edit: I found the cleat to be very awkward and removed it and ran the downhaul to the cockpit.

Edited by - Dave5041 on 05/29/2009 10:57:56

Renzo
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
621 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2009 : 18:24:06

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by glen
 Renzo how much for shipping
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
For you-This week only - a one time special- I'll personally deliver it to you at the dock for two cold beers.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2009 : 18:34:39

Now that's a deal!

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2009 : 05:34:02

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ajacobs
 We've spent several hours searching and reading old posts but we still need help. We aren't sure how to position our boom and still deal with the slot for the slugs on the main. With the mainsail fully raised and filled, the boom naturally falls below the slot for the slugs and the lowest slug falls right in the middle of the slot. We have a standard rig. Is our mainsail too big? It's not possible for us to raise the boom above the slot and have the mainsail properly filled because all along the luff there is a ton of slack.
Amy
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Amy - Depending on the sailmaker it is very possible for the slug to hit that spot but it shouldn't normally seat there while under sail.

The first thing you want to do is put a downhaul on the boom. This can be as simple as a line tied through the eye on the mast end of the boom and down to the cleat just under the boom. (it should rest there when not under load) More elaborately, a smaller version of a boom vang attached to the boom and the mast base. Secondly, are you hoisting the mainsail up all the way? The sail should go nearly to the top of the mast.

The mast gates are supposed to keep the slugs in the kerf when raising and lowering. The load there isn't all that great, even with some stiff winds as it is near the foot of the sail, nonetheless putting load on some #8 machine screws that really weren't made to take the stress is something I'd try to avoid. They probably will handle it, but I wouldn't want to have a sail repair bill just to find out.

Edited by - on

Deric
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2009 : 17:01:56

Before I installed the mast slot plates, the sail would flop all over the top of the boat. The mast slots were a great investment. I did look for gold plated slots, but were not able to find them; had to settle for stainless steel.

I am thinking maybe if I collect enough gold jewelry I may be able to melt it down to fabricate a pair. ;-)

Best,
Deric

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2009 : 19:54:21

Amy, the boom should always stay below the gate. The lowest slug should be above the gate with the sail fully hoisted, and the downhaul should prevent the boom from raising as high as the gate, for the reason Paul cites above. You don't want the gooseneck (boom attachment) to ever rise to or past the gate--it could escape on you. The gate plates are a good addition--they keep the slugs in and, unlike a track stopper above the gate, they allow the slugs and sail to come down to the boom for reefing.

Are you getting the sail all the way to the top of the mast (or within a couple of inches of it)? It should pull the boom upward toward the end of the hoist, to put tension on the luff.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 06/03/2009 19:55:15

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.