Boom/Main question + fixture identification

timmygobang

timmygobang

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Apologies for a bit of a noob question, but my new boat has a lot of toys and fixtures that my old one doesn't, so I've got a lot to learn!

I've attached my main, and need to pull the clew of the main tight to the end of the boom.

There's a metal fixture illustrated in the pictures below (by my lovely assistant sporting the best t-shirt ever), which slides up and down the boom track, which I intended to attach the clew of the main to, but I had expected this not to move.

Could someone tell me the name of this fitting so I can Google how this should be used.

20130630_112449.jpg20130630_112451.jpg20130630_112459.jpg

I also found this diagram, so wondering if the main should be pulled taught and tide down to both the metal fixture and the end of the boom

http://www.streaker-class.org.uk/MembersArea/articles/BoomOut.jpg

I'm probably getting all my terminologies wrong so please go easy on me :D
 
IIRC a "slug". If it didn't move then your outhaul wouldn't do anything.

I tie my clew to the slug with a few loops of cord. The outhaul is shackled to the clew.
At risk of teaching granny; the outhaul will be the middle line at the end of the boom....on the left in your picture.
 
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I'd have expected to shackle the clew to the sliding fitting and to be able to tension the foot either with another out-haul line shackled to it or with an out-haul system inside the boom.

I take it all three lines emerging from the boom end are reefing lines ? or is one the out-haul?

I notice that it's a Kemp boom. Maybe some appropriate instructions on Selden's website. http://www.seldenmast.com/firstpage.cfm
 
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Clew of main attaches to the metal loop.
Outhaul will also either attach to clew or to metal loop to hold metal loop in the desire position.
 
Rigger Mortice said:
At risk of teaching granny; the outhaul will be the middle line at the end of the boom....on the left in your picture.
Click to expand...
No thanks, I need all the advice I can get, much appreciated

VicS said:
I take it all three lines emerging from the boom end are reefing lines ? or is one the out-haul?
Click to expand...

Yes these are my reefing lines, I replaced the green line with a thicker line the other weekend as it was no longer than the length of the boom so I presumed the previous owner hadn't finished setting up the third reef.

Thanks for the replies that makes things a bit clearer now.
 
Many third reefs are not used with permanent lines as they have to be an inordinate length to handle whilst using the first two reefs, leaving the centre pulley for the outhaul. On my own boat, my new sail doesn't have a third reef as I don't plan on being too far out from refuge should the weather start to build. As the outhaul, halyard and kicker come back across the deck to a set of winches and clutches, I can use gentle persuasion with the winch to get the sail really flat.

Rob.
 
rob2 said:
Many third reefs are not used with permanent lines as they have to be an inordinate length to handle whilst using the first two reefs, leaving the centre pulley for the outhaul. On my own boat, my new sail doesn't have a third reef as I don't plan on being too far out from refuge should the weather start to build. As the outhaul, halyard and kicker come back across the deck to a set of winches and clutches, I can use gentle persuasion with the winch to get the sail really flat.

Rob.
Click to expand...

I see, yeh I'm aiming to do some long distance sailing so would prefer to be able to put a third reef in, so in retrospect I'm glad with what I've done. The mainsail is new quite new so I'm guessing the previous main might have not had a third reef.

Looking around I see some people have added a block and a cleat on the boom itself to adjust the outhaul.

Something similar to this

outhaul2.gif


This will probably be my next job :)
 
timmygobang said:
I see, yeh I'm aiming to do some long distance sailing so would prefer to be able to put a third reef in, so in retrospect I'm glad with what I've done. The mainsail is new quite new so I'm guessing the previous main might have not had a third reef.

Looking around I see some people have added a block and a cleat on the boom itself to adjust the outhaul.

Something similar to this

outhaul2.gif


This will probably be my next job :)
Click to expand...

That would do the trick if you want to use the boom sheaves for 3 reefs. But I suspect the 'unfinished third reef' represented by the short line through the boom is your original outhaul, because a full main must have one, and if you are considering adding an external outhaul then the previous owner can only have been using one of the boom sheaves for that purpose. It's not unusual to have 3 reefing points in the main and only 2 reefs rigged. I'm sure you have looked but are you definite the main has 3 reef points? If there are only 2 then the arrangement becomes more clear.

Cheers
 
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The unfinished reef could of been the out-haul?

I have a similar boom set up there is a wire that goes round a small block forward... Near the mast coming out of the side of the boom is rope. Inside the boom there is some flavour purchase to tension the outhaul..

Sigma 33's (I think) had a similar system.

If anything goes wrong with mine it would be a swine of a job to repair, so I would probably start as your system is...
 
Looks identical to the one we have on our boat. As others have said its where the clew of the mainsail should be shackled. There should be a wire rope coming from it (down inside the slot somewhere?) which should go round a sheave in the back end of the boom and to some kind of purchase system of blocks etc inside the boom. The tension on the clew outhaul is determined by a line that comes out of the front of the boom at the gooseneck (next to the mast). There should be some sort of jamming arrangement for the lines with levers under the boom at the front end.
 
bitbaltic said:
That would do the trick if you want to use the boom sheaves for 3 reefs. But I suspect the 'unfinished third reef' represented by the short line through the boom is your original outhaul, because a full main must have one, and if you are considering adding an external outhaul then the previous owner can only have been using one of the boom sheaves for that purpose. It's not unusual to have 3 reefing points in the main and only 2 reefs rigged. I'm sure you have looked but are you definite the main has 3 reef points? If there are only 2 then the arrangement becomes more clear.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Yep I definitely have 3 reefing points in the main :)

and yep I didn't realise that the 'unfinished third reef' was the outhaul. So the other weekend I went ahead and replaced it with a line like the other two.

Only now have I realised what I've done, but it's ok as I'd much rather have the third reef setup, just leaves me with another job (blast)

....so yesterday I discovered what an outhaul is :D

This doesn't look like a job I can do myself.

John Morris - You're correct I do have clutches at the other end of the boom by the gooseneck. Only now I have set them up for a 3 reefing system.

On a side note I saw in PBO a tip on using a tape measure to thread lines through the boom to avoid having to detach the boom and stand it up and use gravity to thread the line through the boom. If anyone else reads this thread, I can recommend a "cable access kit" which did the job quite nicely

DRCAKL.JPG
 
Rigger Mortice said:
IIRC a "slug". If it didn't move then your outhaul wouldn't do anything.

I tie my clew to the slug with a few loops of cord. The outhaul is shackled to the clew.
At risk of teaching granny; the outhaul will be the middle line at the end of the boom....on the left in your picture.
Click to expand...

I have the same set-up but I have the clew made off to the slug & a lashing lead aft through the under side hole in the outboard / aft casting. the centre line goes to the leach Cunningham / flattening cringle
 
A tape is a good method, but if you dont have one you don't need to stand the boom on end; you can clove hitch a mousing line to one if the other lines (that's long enough to pull through without losing an end). You then use a bit of wire with a hook on it to pull the mousing line through the correct lead/sheave. Easy peasy!
 
Depending on how low your boom is ,if there were any chance of it hitting a head I would avoid the external blocks and cleat. If one of these hit your head it could puncture the skull giving a real headache. A smooth sided boom is a lot safer.
Better is an internal outhaul. I use an outhaul that uses the clew eyelet as a pulley so 2to1 purchase the rope then runs around a block set in the top of the boom then inside the boom to another block set in the under side of the boom down to aturning block on deck and back to a winch. I found that purchase tackle inside the boom can be difficult to release tension as ropes don't get much movement and go hard. good luck with the new boat olewill
 
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To Sailor man nice photo but again harping on boom safety. If it is low. I have used 2 sided velcro in place of the slug and shackle. This is sold in haberdashery or chandlers often described as cable tidy. The velcro wraps around the boom and through the eyelet being double sided it sticks to itself so you make 3 or more wraps. A bit fiddly to get through the eyelet twist it so it doesn't stick until it si through. The eyelet then can be lashed right down to the boom giving sailorman another inch or more of boom claerance. PS never doubt the strength of that velcro double sided. I have seemn a Thompson 9m hot racer with huge main using 3 wraps of double sided velcro.
Double sided means hook on one side pile on the other side. good luck olewill
 
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