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Boom drilling

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LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/23/2004 : 13:24:29

A while back I asked for (and got!)a ton of help in knowing how to rig an outhaul system. I know a number of you suggested going extrenal, but I'm going to do it internally. Basically I just want to see if I can do it! I'm extending my boundaries all over the place with my boat, and this is just one more "test" for me. (It's amazing what we can do if we put our minds to it.)

Anyway, I am going to run a Harken #306 entry block on the back end of my boom to get my wire inside the boom. With the track that the sail foot goes into, I'm wondering how to drill a groove/hole for the block? Have any of you done this? And how did you do it? If I drill the "lip" off the top part I think I could then recess the block into the bottom of the channel, but that would leave an opening on the sides of the "lips" where water could get into, wouldn't it? And the cover to the block wouldn't fit in that groove. Does any of this make sense in how I'm describing it? I could take a picture of what I mean tonight if that would help.

Dave & Sharon on "Leigh-Marie"
Hull #5128

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2004 : 14:16:35

Dave & Sharon,

For what it's worth, here's how I did the clew end of my outhaul. I got a SS outhaul car with a captive quick pin for the clew cringle, and a built-in SS sheave for a 2:1 wire outhaul.

Now, here's the part that applies to your question. To make the wire turn 180* and enter the boom, I used a small wire-rated cheekblock mounted a bit off to one side of the sail slide groove as far aft as practical. Ahead of, and just below that cheekblock, I cut a slot in the side of the boom. This slot is maybe 1/4" to 3/8" top to bottom, and 3" to 4" long. The aft end of the slot of course lines up with the wire coming off the bottom of the cheekblock. The forward end of the slot is slightly below horizontal. Both ends and all edges of the slot are rounded, radiused, sanded smooth, etc. so as to not chafe the wire or nick hands. Oh yeah, one end of the wire is fixed to a screw on the other side of the boom at the aft end.

Once the wire is inside the boom, I attached it to the bale of a small bullet block for 1/4" line. A length of 1/4" double braid dacron (polyester) is tied off at one end to a 5/16" cross bolt through the boom near the gooseneck. From there, the 1/4" line goes around the sheave of that bullet block attached to the outhaul wire, and back toward the gooseneck where it is spliced around the bale of another small bullet block for 3/16" line.

A length of 3/16 double braid dacron (polyester) is tied off at that same 5/16" cross bolt near the gooseneck. From there, the 3/16" line goes around the sheave of that bullet block attached to the end of the 1/4" line, and back toward the gooseneck where it emerges around a small exit block in the bottom of the boom as close as practical to the gooseneck.

From the exit block, the 3/16" line runs aft under the boom about 4' to a pivoting camcleat with built in turning block hanging from the bottom of the boom. The tail hangs down just above the companionway sliding hatch with a large plastic bead on it as a handle.

The result is an 8:1 internal cascade outhaul. If you'd be happy with 4:1, then leave out one of the bullet blocks and the section line spliced to it, or dont' bother getting an outhaul car with a sheave in it. If you have a fixed gooseneck (as opposed to sliding), you could route the outhaul tail to the cockpit similar to the same way we've been discussing leading halyards aft.

Got all that?

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

svmoxie
Past Commodore

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USA
331 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2004 : 14:21:46

Dave & Sharon

You have to post fast around here if you want to beat Leon to the punch!

Rather than restate what Leon said, here is a thousand words on the subject:

It is possible to mount it on center and deal with the slot in the boom but you end up using a larger turning block than you really need and it is more work fitting and dressing the hole.

Good luck!

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2004 : 14:56:50

Dave,

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by LeighMarie
 . . . and this is just one more "test" for me . . .

That's the attitude! 

. . . I'm wondering how to drill a groove/hole for the block?

I drilled a series of holes then opened and trued things up with a flat file. 

If I drill the "lip" off the top part I think I could then recess the block into the bottom of the channel, but that would leave an opening on the sides of the "lips" where water could get into, wouldn't it? And the cover to the block wouldn't fit in that groove.

I would still recommend the Ronstan 452 wire exit/entry block here; it will sit almost flush on top of each side of the "lips" and minimize the size of the slot you have to cut.

http://www.ronstan.com/catalogue/R042-045.pdf
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Good Luck and have fun.

Edited by - OJ on 02/23/2004 15:01:53

LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2004 : 19:55:09

OJ, Way to go! I think the 452 is just what I'm looking for! I can't find anywhere the actual width of the sheave, but it looks pretty narrow. What I think I would be able to do, then, is to cut a smaller grove, probably cutting off some of the lips of the track(or drilling and using a file as you suggested), through the bottom of the track and then screw the 452 right onto the top of the boom. I could go the way the Svmoxie suggested also, but I already have my wire set and ready to go. Again, I never thought it possible to run something into a boom, but here I go! Thanks for the help!

Oops, I almsot forgot: I am going to a new loose-footed main. Do you think I will need to worry about the 452 not being strong enough? It'll have quite a load on it at times, won't it? I notice in the Ronstan catalog that there is a RF454 that has a MWL that is significantly higher. I wonder if that would be better?

Edited by - LeighMarie on 02/23/2004 20:17:36

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2004 : 21:29:00

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by LeighMarie

Oops, I almsot forgot: I am going to a new loose-footed main. Do you think I will need to worry about the 452 not being strong enough? It'll have quite a load on it at times, won't it? I notice in the Ronstan catalog that there is a RF454 that has a MWL that is significantly higher. I wonder if that would be better?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Dave,

The RF452 will be plenty strong, but the loose footed main introduces a new variable . . . that being, the clew of the main is not going to remain centered on the boom the way the original main did. So, if the clew swings out it may cause the wire to chafe on the RF452 which may cause the cable to fray.

Hmmm . . . as my dad would say, that's a mixed bag of worms!

BTW, I'd use aluminum rivets to install the RF452.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2004 : 21:52:59

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by LeighMarie

Oops, I almsot forgot: I am going to a new loose-footed main. Do you think I will need to worry about the 452 not being strong enough? It'll have quite a load on it at times, won't it? I notice in the Ronstan catalog that there is a RF454 that has a MWL that is significantly higher. I wonder if that would be better?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Dave,
The RF452 will be plenty strong, but the loose footed main introduces a new variable . . . that being, the clew of the main is not going to remain centered on the boom the way the original main did. So, if the clew swings out it may cause the wire to chafe on the RF452 which may cause the cable to fray.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

My loose footed Ullman has a slugged clew so it stays over the boom track with no problem.

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

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Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2004 : 22:21:34

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 My loose footed Ullman has a slugged clew so it stays over the boom track with no problem.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'm going loose footed this year, as well. I bought a 7/16" SS, welded outhaul slide from Sailrite and just confirmed the fit in the boom track yesterday. So, now all I have to do is attach it to the clew by sewing it on with a loop of 1" nylon webbing.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2004 : 22:57:29

Dave & Sharon,

I also switched to a loose-footed mainsail. As the others have mentioned...

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">"The RF452 will be plenty strong, but the loose footed main introduces a new variable ... that being, the clew of the main is not going to remain centered on the boom..." -- Steve Madsen

"My loose footed Ullman has a slugged clew so it stays over the boom track with no problem." -- fhopper

"I bought a 7/16" SS, welded outhaul slide from Sailrite and just confirmed the fit in the boom track..." -- J.B. Manley
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
... you need to attach the sail clew to the boom track in some way. That's why I mentioned using an outhaul car. I've also gotten really heavy duty 1/2" nylon slugs a couple inches long with big SS bales from either Sailrite or Defender for about $4/ea. I used them on the luff at the headboard and reef cringles, but they might be strong enough for the clew as well. If there were some easy way to have two of them share the clew load, I wouldn't hesitate to use them there. Being nylon, they will slide easier than the metal options mentioned above. Obviously whatever you use there will have to withstand the same tension loads as your mainsheet tackle, even in the worst gust that hits you. So do it right.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2004 : 00:15:15

My loose-footed UK Sailmakers mainsail came with a 2" nylon slug sewn onto the clew with nylon webbing. This slug has an inner plate that acts as a retainer which prevents the stainless plate bale from pulling out.

Edited by - on

LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 02/28/2004 : 22:42:51

Well, I did it! I installed both an entry and an exit block in my boom. Here are some pics of it. The first 2 pics are of the exit block that is on the underside of the boom which will lead the line down to the bottom of the mast and then to the cabin top rope clutch. The third and fourth pics are of the entry block which will lead the wire from the clew of the mainsail inside the boom.

Edited by - LeighMarie on 02/28/2004 22:46:18

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 02/29/2004 : 10:48:05

Dave,

Excellent job . . . I'd let you work on my boat any day

.

Have you decided on a ratio yet?

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

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Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 02/29/2004 : 12:13:46

You've made it looks so simple, Dave, that I've added it to my project list. Thanks a lot! 8-p

Edited by - on

LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 02/29/2004 : 12:16:17

OJ, I'm not exactly sure how to count the ratio, but this is how I'll have the line go. From the clew it will go throught the entry block with a wire that will attach to the Harken #128 double pulley with becket. I have a line spliced onto the becket and it will go to one of the pulleys on my Harken #127 pulley, back to the first pulley on the #128, back to the second pulley on the #127, back to the second pulley on the #128 and then out the bottom of the boom to the turning block at the bottom of the mast, to the deck organizer and then through the rope clutch. I think it will be just a 4:1 ratio, right? My old one was a 1:1, so anything is better than that.

Edited by - on

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