lost my boom, what about a loose footed mainsail ?

[sarabande]

Somewhere I have put my 10ft 6ins wooden boom, and it has totally disappeared. I mean, like thin thin air. I have asked the sheep, and resident rats, but answer came there none.

So...

I have seen pics of mainsails which have no boom, and which are controlled by a couple of handy-billy type fixings from the clew towards the quarters.

I rather like the idea, but does it play hell with the shape and efficiency of the main ?

TIA

 

[john_morris_uk]

Somewhere I have put my 10ft 6ins wooden boom, and it has totally disappeared. I mean, like thin thin air. I have asked the sheep, and resident rats, but answer came there none.

So...

I have seen pics of mainsails which have no boom, and which are controlled by a couple of handy-billy type fixings from the clew towards the quarters.

I rather like the idea, but does it play hell with the shape and efficiency of the main ?

TIA

Off the wind it is rubbish. You struggle to get the main to fly properly.

What really kills it for me is that the block on the end of the clew flies around as you tack/gybe and in a larger boat is even more dangerous than the boom.

Drascombe Luggers have such a system at 18' odd long and I wouldn't like to have a loose footed mainsail in anything much bigger. At least you can predict where the boom is going to swing...

 

[rob2]

Finally a convincing application for soft shackles! Isn't this the usual arrangement for a storm trysail? I remember seeing a Guy Thompson T30 fitted with two sheeting systems at the for'ard corners of the cockpit coamings for one. I guess for downwind sailing you'd need a second whisker pole, but with the wind forward of the beam the lazy sheet can be used like a barber hauler to adjust the angle of the working sheet.

Rob.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Finally a convincing application for soft shackles! Isn't this the usual arrangement for a storm trysail? I remember seeing a Guy Thompson T30 fitted with two sheeting systems at the for'ard corners of the cockpit coamings for one. I guess for downwind sailing you'd need a second whisker pole, but with the wind forward of the beam the lazy sheet can be used like a barber hauler to adjust the angle of the working sheet.

Rob.

A soft shackle is great, but most (all?) mainsheet systems still need blocks.

 

[Rossynant]

Have learned to sail with loose-footed main. But it hung from a gaff, so worked properly off the wind.
Perfectly possible, provided you make twin sheets to it like a for a jib, or some other arrangement that allowes it to be sheeted from far aft. So to have the tackle far from heads.

 

[Searush]

I may have some alloy tubing that would do you to make a boom. If you are interested, I shall have a look in the morning to see what is left in the shed.

Easy enough to set up like a Laser with loose foot, but clew loosely tied round boom & pulled taut to a boom end fitting. You'll need to buy & fit a gooseneck fitting & maybe a plastic bung for the far end.

Once you no longer NEED the boom, I am sure it will turn up somewhere.

 

[sarabande]

thanks SR for the offer. Just exploring the forum's views, in case a boomless main turns out to be a Good Idea.

I have various small trees which can be pressed into service, should the boom not re-appear. The last time anyone saw it was before the machinery was brought in from outside, so it could be being used as a chock or brace for a baler or mower

 

[fishermantwo]

If it was me I would build a new wooden boom, strip planked in cedar like a long skinny canoe and sheaved in epoxy and cloth. The U shape would double as a lazy jack stacker arrangement {with a drain in the bottom of course}.

 

[Searush]

Solid wood will be awful heavy, they are usually hollow. Anyhow, the offer is there if you want.

I did use a length of solid ash as a jib stick on my first boat & tapered the ends to keep the weight down & that was OK. I found that in the shed to other day & it had become a lot lighter thanks to 20 years of industrious work by wood beetle. The s/s end fittings are still good tho.

 

[William_H]

Boom

Yes IMHO a boom is vital for any sort of performance. I replaced my boom a few years back with carbon fibre from a broken mast. I love it. It is about half the weight of the old boom which means less bang on the head. You could use a broken wind surfer mast also. You may need a new gooseneck which can be fabricated from ss strap and or gooseneck fittings.
The clew can be held down to the boom with rope or double sided velcro and an outhaul can be by pulley or lanyard. Webbing can provide attachment of main sheet.
Back to the original question no loose footed mains as they were known (no boom) went out long ago as just bad unless you really are constrained for boom stowage or for storm main sail. On my boat I am thinking of fitting a jib on a boom both for self tacking but also to set the (necessarily smaller) jib better for all the same reasons. good luck finding the old one. olewill

 

[Zagato]

John Watkinson designed the Drascombe Lugger without a boom as his wife was worried about getting knocked out by it! A small block is less worry.

Even though the Drascombes are Gaffers the gaff spar is pulled in so tight to the main mast it almost becomes a Bermudan style affair (SeaRush, correct me in my terminology on descriptions!)

See hear (loose footed set up pics also)

http://www.drascombe.org.uk/drascombe drifter 22.htm

Many that have the larger 22' Drifters add a boom, some even add a boom to the Mizzen although it's horses for courses, the idea is not to pull the main in too tight. The previous owner of my Drifter had it for 20 years loose footed and sailed from Scotland to Biscay annually. I think you would have to say it sails better with a boom though...

Making a boom from wood is very easy by the way and it doesn't have to be heavy - many make their own spars My boom is a bit of 2.5 x2.5 with the edges rounded off a tad.

 

[jwilson]

Somewhere I have put my 10ft 6ins wooden boom, and it has totally disappeared. I mean, like thin thin air. I have asked the sheep, and resident rats, but answer came there none.

So...

I have seen pics of mainsails which have no boom, and which are controlled by a couple of handy-billy type fixings from the clew towards the quarters.

I rather like the idea, but does it play hell with the shape and efficiency of the main ?

TIA

The usual problem is that if you just take the boom away and sheet the clew from the normal mainsheet position, the sail will have far too taut a leech and far too full a foot - it will set truly horribly, both to windward and running. It is usable but less efficient than it should be on a reach. I know as I have sailed home with a broken boom taken off.

If you can arrange to sheet it from a long way aft of the normal mainsheet position there is no reason that the sail cannot set well loose-footed - but I mean a long way aft. The right sheeting position may be beyond your stern.

As others have said blocks flying about as you gybe or as the sail flogs when hoisting can be (literally) lethal, and with a 10 ft boom you probably have blocks on the mainsheet.

 

[Daydream believer]

Go to the builders merchant & buy a length of Canadian CLS ,treated, stress graded softwood of the nearest size.
Sand it & give it a couple of coats of paint
You can get something like 32x69 or 38x69 or 38x 90
C LS is fairly free of knots & has slightly radiused cprners
Being stress graded it will have straighter grain & be stronger
Any builders merchant that sells wood will have it
Try Travis Perkins
Probably cost you about £2-00 to £2-50 per metre & comes in 2.4 or 4.2 metre lengths
All you need then is a few fittings