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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Boomkicker Sale

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Rich G
Navigator

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226 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/16/2006 : 12:39:10

CatalinaOwners.com is having a sale through March 31.

Boomkicker for a Catalina 25: $123.89.

I think I'm going to get one.

Rich

Cerberus
Hull #4695
1984 SR/FK No Pop-Top

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 12:51:49

Rich,

Some opinions on this forum regarding the boomkickers have not been favorable. Wait until you get some pro's and con's before you commit.

Edited by - on

Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 13:45:05

If you have ever had to reef the main sail in a blow YOU WILL LOVE IT.....

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 13:52:22

OK, I need some eduction here. My boat has a pig tail on the back stay. I assume that is what is used to keep the boom up. Am I wrong? If I am not, then why install a topping lift or boom kicker? Thanks in advance for you advice. Cheers.

Edited by - on

Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 14:20:22

The Boomkicker is used VS the topping lift or a pig tail. the nice thing about the topping lift is that you can leave it on the boom and go sail.. I have done this. The BoomKicker is nice when it is blowing hard outside and you want to reef the main sail, the topping lift adds weight, and windage to the rig. For us racers every bit counts.

Also have you ever been coming in from a sail or a race and you tell the crew to take the main sail down, they almost always forget to attach the pigtale or topping lift to the boom first. The next thing you know there is a boom on the floor of the cockpit, and thats if you are lucky it missed you coming down.

MY 2 CENTS

Edited by - on

Rich G
Navigator

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226 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 14:32:15

The pig tail will hold the boom up, but it really is NOT a substitute for a proper boom support, especially during sail raising, lowering or reefing.

For one thing, while adjusting halyard tension during any of these procedures, you ideally would like to be head-to-wind. However, if you are not or the wind shifts and the tail end of your boom is attached to the back stay, the main will fill with air and the boat will heal. This is a potentially hazardous situation. A topping lift (or boomkicker or rigid vang) will allow the boom to swing freely and dump any wind out of the sail while you are raising or lowering it. It's a much safer operation.

They also allow you to adjust boom height while under sail, improving sail shape and trim effinciency.

I only ever have the boom attached to the pig-tail on the backstay when I am moored.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 16:33:00

Thanks Rich and CS. I think for the time being I will go with the topping lift as I have everything to make on up so it will not put a drain on my sailing budget. Cheers.

Edited by - on

Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 18:43:25

1/8" Endura 12 By New England is what you will want

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Cloudveil
1st Mate

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USA
60 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2006 : 18:49:13

Rich - Another issue with the boomkicker is the poptop, I believe the boomkicker is in the way
when raising the poptop. The pigtail is for boom support while docked, moored, etc. Do not
raise sail with the pigtail attached to boom. Bad things can happen quickly!

Edited by - on

Rich G
Navigator

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226 Posts

Response Posted - 03/17/2006 : 07:24:13

So far, I have yet to find a compelling argument to disuade me from the Boomkicker, other than Garhauer's rigid vang is better.

I have no pop-top. It's a rarity, I know, but there you have it. No interference there.

The one argument I do have to say I've been weary about is the fact that you lose the boom as a potential hand-hold. That could be an issue.

But, hey . . . For $125 I think I'm willing to find out for myself. I called Garhauer yesterday and their 16:1 rigid vang is $275. I could maybe get away with the 12:1, but Mark suggested that if I'm going to run the vang line aft I'd be better off with the greater purchase.

I don't know, I'm still stymied . . . But one thing is certain: I'd like to eliminate the topping lift. One less line to run through a deck organizer that is already going to be quite crowded (main halyard, reefing lines and boom vang).

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/17/2006 : 08:51:50

To amplify on the comments concerning the pigtail, the main reason I installed a traditional topping lift was so I could rid myself of using the pigtail, which had probably caused me more problems, some rather serious, than anything else on any boat I've owned.

With that in mind, I'm wondering how those using boomkickers limit the boom from swinging since I assume you can't really cinch the mainsheet down with the flexible boomkicker as you could with a traditional topping lift?

As for running the vang to the cabintop, I used to run mine that way, but, after a suggestion from Brooke, I flipped my vang so the tail is on the boom end of the vang. In this postion, I find the vang operates much more freely and is easier for me to adjust.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5933 Posts

Response Posted - 03/17/2006 : 10:09:43

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Rich G
 So far, I have yet to find a compelling argument to disuade me from the Boomkicker....<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I've never used a boomkicker, but the best argument I can think of is that it costs $123.89, and I can rig a really good topping lift for about $10-15.

I tied a piece of about 3/16" hardware store, braided nylon line to the pin at the top of the mast, ran it through a small block at the end of the boom, and added about another 2' of length to the line. Then I took the line out of the block, got a small, plastic clam cleat, and ran the line through the screw hole on one end of the cleat (from the rear of the cleat to the front). I laid the line in the part of the cleat that grips the line, and then ran the line through the block on the end of the boom, and up to the cleat again. Then I ran the line through the screw hole on the other end of the cleat (from front to rear), and tied a figure eight stopper knot in the end.

The weight of the boom causes the cleat to grasp the line and hold the boom in place. When I wanted to adjust the height of the boom, all I had to do was take hold of the clam cleat with one hand and twist it, so the topping lift line came out of the cleat.

The boom doesn't weigh very much, so the topping lift line doesn't need to be very strong (or heavy). Light, cheap nylon line stretches easily, and that's exactly what you want it to do, because, many times I forgot to loosen the topping lift after raising my mainsail, and the mainsheet could easily stretch the topping lift, overcoming it. If you used expensive, non-stretching line, it wouldn't "forgive" those mistakes. I used my topping lift for about 15 years before I replaced the nylon line.

Edited by - on

welshoff
Captain

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USA
253 Posts

Response Posted - 03/17/2006 : 19:58:05

I have a boom kicker on my C250. You can see it just ahead of the boom vang

I still use a pig tail to the backstay after sails are dropped and putting cover on for the night. I also clip to backstay if dropping sails and motoring for a while. No big deal clip off boom and pull in main sheet - boom secure.

When sails are dropped the boom kicker does hold the boom up nicely. Works great for setting and shaking out reefs. It also works great with the boom vang - pull vang in boom goes down, let vang out boom goes up. As noted by other posts - nice not to mess with a topping lift. If you use the boom for a hand hold with the sails down, it will move around on you unless clipped to the backstay. Any questions, ask away.

Edited by - on

Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2006 : 14:19:11

After a lot of thought on this subject, I thought I would bring it up at our Chilli Cookoff on Saturday. On the S2 7.9 that I crew on we do have a boom kicker installed. I like it allot, And yes we do tighten the main sheet to keep it in place. The best advice that I got on installing a boomkicker for a racing boat is this.....

If you are in really light air, the book kicker holds the boom up and allows the main to stay as full as possible. If you don't have a topping lift hooked up and adjusted correctly you loose shape in the main sail and the leach gets tighter.

I have put all of my weight on the boom and the boom does give with the kicker installed. I am 170lbs. You have to be carefull not to do this, but for all of the right reasons I will be installing one.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2006 : 16:55:51

Does the Capri 25 have a fixed gooseneck?

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Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2006 : 17:58:35

Yes mine does, and after the last post I went to the Catalina Owners site looking for the boom Kicker on Sale, It turns out that the Catalina 25 is different than the Capri 25's. Something about a Fastpin? So for all you Capri 25's out there the unit is 155.00 +/- in price. I just might spend the extra 100.00 and go with the ridged vang at 16to1, was that on the catalina Owners site also, or thru Schaefer?

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