Mast to boom goosneck problem

ProDave said:
Yes as already discussed the sail that was on the boom does just run in the slot.

However, I've been sorting through the bag of spare sails that came with the boat, and found a spare main sail with the little plastic feet sewn on. So having made a stop to go in the bottom of the mast slot, I tried raising this sail, and it's so much easier.

Only trouble is, this spare sale is several feet taller than my mast:(

So having determined running the sail up on those little plastic feet (excuse my terminology) is so much easier, is it easy to convert the sail that fits to use these? Looking at them, I'm guessing the feet are pretty cheap, but is sewing them onto the sail a DIY job or is it best left to a sail maker? (if so rough costs?)
Click to expand...

Piece of cake to fit slides to a sail with a luff rope. If you can get your hands on a copy of Augusts PBO it has a guide in there. If not it is a simple job anyway.

You'll need some slides (obviously), use the spacing from your spare sail as a guide to how many, and then to fit them a diy pack of "hipkiss" brass eyelets http://www.mailspeedmarine.com/screws-bolts-pins/hipkiss/brass-eyelet-kit-10012-1001437.bhtml and the same amount of plastic shackles to connect the slides through the eyelets. http://shop.sailmakers.com/shop/browse.html?cat=16

It really is that simple. The only issue you may then have is that the foot of your sail may well be too long for the boom by a couple of centimetres as the sail luff will be away from the mast slot by this much, but it really depends on how much movement you originally had in your outhaul.

You wouldn't want to sail without being able to tension the foot properly though as this would seriously affect your ability to sail to windward. You may therefore still need the services of a sailmaker to cut it to fit. It shouldn't cost the earth but worth asking a couple of lofts for quotes to get an idea.
 
The problem some people find with sliders is that when you drop the sail they all pour out of the mast gate (the wider slot you fed them into).
You can over come this by drilling a small hole across the luff groove at the top of the mast gate and putting a split pin through it.

Headboard.jpg


Or do as I do now and wrap a bungy around the mast.

bungymastgate2.jpg
 
Slides are fine on a boat that's permanently rigged and the sail therefore stays on the boom and in the mast track. With an 18' trailer sailer, rigged and de-rigged on a regular basis, it just seems like unnecessary complication to me.
 
I've now got the mast down to fit a pulley for the top lift. Attached is a picture of the mast top.

Originally I thought to pull out the pin holding the back stay, fit a shackle in there to hold the back stay and my pulley, but the pin won't budge.

So plan B.

What about drilling a small hole where I have marked with an X to take a shackle for my top lift pulley? It won't interfere with the back stay or luff rope. Or is drilling for such things frowned upon?
 
That'll go right through your main halyard!
Why not utilise those nice holes in the mast we can just see lower down in the pic.
Rivet a cheek block, or something similar there.

PLB01160.jpg
 
I may not have drawn the X in exactly the right place, but it certainly won't go through anything (probably a little further to the right than the X)

It's more a case of would drilling be considered to weaken the mast head casting? it'l only a 4mm pin on the shackle I have so probably a 5mm hole.

It's also a case of wanting to use the pulley I have rather than another trip out to buy what you suggest. I'm also not to convinced of the strength of pop rivets into aluminium.
 
I'm not an engineer so I wouldn't know what sort of metal is used for the casting or if a hole there would weaken it.
My gut feeling is that it would be way over-engineered to the size of rig you have and be perfectly safe. I would drill it in my own, but on yours it needs to be your own decision.
 
Topping lift

I have for many years had a fixed topping lift on my 21fter. ie a piece of rope with a snap shackle on the end which hooks on to a saddle on the end of the boom. I remove it and attach to the backstay before sailing. if I forget the mainsail doesn't set properly as the main sheet is pulling against the topping lift.
You can get away with just a strap attached to the backstay as suggested but this will stop the boom swinging out to release pressure.
As for slugs (sliders) on the mainsail most people use them where the main sail is stored on the boom.
I think you would be better off getting some experience with the bolt rope especially if you remove the mainsail after each voyage. I have always stuck with bolt rope because it means I can reef from the cockpit with no concern about releasing the bottom sliders. Or feeding them back in when shaking reef out. Of course if you have a small mainsail and large jib this won't worry you so much. I reef a lot.
I have a prefeeder made from some 3/16 inch diameter SS rod welded to a plate rivetted to the mast where the track has been curt away. loops on the end of the rods are bent so as to slide sail side of the bolt rope so pulling the sail forward to feed into the track.
i think you have done the right thing with the gooseneck. I never did like those sliding goosenecks. It is too easy for the boom to end up too low.
I hope you get some sailing in at the end of the season. Our season opens officially in 2.5 weeks so I am looking forward to that.
good luck olewill
 
Thanks again.

I think I'll go and drill it (when the rain stops)

Yes the boomstrut looks a nice idea, but it's a LOT more expensive than a couple of pulleys, some rope and a couple of snap shackles.

Ye we are getting everything ready to take her out for a day's sailing shortly. Launching her is my biggest concern, but perhaps I should start a new thread nearer the time when we are ready.
 
Just read this thread and a couple of thoughts. How do you reef? (reduce the sail area) I ask as the hole in the boom casting appears to be square and if the goose neck is, or was, as well it might have been used as a foller reefing system. As in; to reduce sail you roll some round the boom with the boom pulled back off the square shaft, then shove it back and retension the halyard. The square stops it unrolling again. Also, I think you indicated that your topping lift would be wire rope. Polyester line might be a better idea with a cleat at the bottom of the mast to secure (and adjust) it, no point in turnbuckles. There is very little load on it, so an eye at or near the mast head would be enough.
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My boat's a 21' which had an aluminium boomstrut which got damaged. I have found that the cheapest method with this size of boat is to have no topping lift or boomstrut. When dropping the main the boom drops into the cockpit and I can slab the sail, then
attach the main halliard to the end of the boom and pull up. This holds up the boom and the sail is stored as normal on the boom.
 
Disconnecting either the halyard or the topping lift leaves plenty of opportunity for loosing it up the mast, esp if moving it from one end to the other. Been there ;-)
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