New main, old boom

[pcatterall]

Just about to order a new mainsail (and hope to get the usual good advice from you guys!)
The original set up was with the old fashioned rotating boom (with which I was never really happy.
I propose to renew with full length battens and 'standard reefing'
My first problem is how to fit a kicker, I suppose that I could use the old horseshoe thing but it was never much good. I had thought about making up a band which would go around the boom and be pinched up at the bottom where there would be a hole to attach the kicker. This solution would mean removing the band when ever I had to remove the sail.
Second question is about lazy jacks. I have studied various arrangements.I would like to keep my old (standard) boom cover. I feel that I could just secure the top end of the system about 12 inches out on the spreader (no real load on the system?) I guess that the vertical lines do not have to be especially tight under the boom so I could just lace the cover up as normal.
Whilst I am at it I might as well try for a third question!!. Am I right to go for the fully battened option? my boat is a (fairly ponderous) Colvic Atlanta (but dont tell her I said so!) will there be much benefit? I propose to try ordinary mast slides and reserve buying expensive wheely things as a last option.
Three questions, I know its greedy! I'm having to use the 'other side' for another set of queries!!

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[Twister_Ken]

three Qs, but only one answer, on the kicker Q.

Used to sail on a Carter 30 which had been changed from twirly boom reefing to slab. The boom had a s/s strap glued and rivetted onto it, going both sides but stopping short of the foot groove. Clever bit was it wasn't at right angles to the boom, but at an angle which coincided with the angle of the vang, so gave it a greater area of manky old boom to mate with.

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[Evadne]

Mine has a short length of track that the kicker attaches to. This goes back as far as the main hatch so it not only attaches to a decent chunk of boom, I can use it to lift the engine out of the boat if needs be.


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[Boathook]

My boat has a roller boom that was converted from new by Kemps Masts (now Selden) over 24 years ago by welding a bracket on at the mast end to take standard 'joint' The boom had a track in the bottom that allowed a sliding fitting to take the kicker. The slab reefing is through blocks rivetted to the side of the boom and is guided along through eyes, again fitted in the bottom track. The sail has to be reefed from the mast with the reef lines made through jammers rivetted to the boom underside. A fully battened mainsail was fitted over 8 years ago (stackaway ? from Quay Sails in Poole) which has simple rollers on pins for each batten. This seems more than adequate for a 9m Catalac. I would not try ordinary slides due to friction etc. The lazy jacks are fitted to the sail cover that is held in place by the bolt rope on the foot of the main, so all I have to do is zip up the cover ! Main raising and lowering is greatly helped by spraying the track and slides with silicone furniture polish at regular intervals.

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[maxi]

1) Tangs for the kicker are available 'off the shelf' for fitting with a pop-riveter (do not forget the yellow chromate paste). You will be able to find one to fit your boom section and it will keep the track clear as well.

2) Even your existing boom cover could be adapted for lazy jacks very easily. You may find that securing the lazy jacks at the spreaders may be a little low, you could try siezing a line between the cap shrouds at the midway point twixt spreaders & masthead - from the two centre positions you could suspend the lazy jacks, providing a nice wide funnel for the sail to drop into.

3) Strangely, I think that you Atlanta would benefit from a fully battened main, if for no other reason that you could sail with the sheets more free than at present (faster). There are other benefits too.

Good luck

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[dickh]

For minimum cost you can rivet on a custom made plate which practically wraps all roungd the boom, leaving a slot for the foot of the sail. Use Monel rivets with Zinc Chromate paste between the Al boom & the SS straps. Also consider using some sort of solid spring loaded kicker strut like the Barton boom strut or similar. This will amke reefing with slab reefing much easier.
OR, much better, if you can afford it, is to fit a new boom as I did from Z-Spars at Hadleigh. They will sell a kit which you just rivet together - I was lucky as they had a second hand boom profile in stock which they gave me and just cut to length. The new boom will also include all the end fittings for the slab reefing lines, and of course will have a slot underneath for the loops for main sheets, kicking straps etc etc. Depending on the profile you choose you can have booms with 2, 3 or 4 lines. Z-Spars thoroughly recommended.
Definitely go for fully battened main, mine was B****** to hoist and drop as it only had the small white plastic sliders; my local sailmaker Parker & Kay at SYH nr Ipswich fitted much longer Black plastic sliders with webbing at the batten end and the small white sliders on a LOOSE webbing strop in between. Works perfectly and MUCH cheaper than the roller cars.

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by dickh on 22/10/2004 13:51 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Twister_Ken]

Forgot

Have the main made either loose-footed, or with (suitably chafe protected) slots cut in the foot directly beneath the leech reef cringles. That way you can tie the reef pennants around the boom wthout needing eyes on the boom to tie them off to.

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[pcatterall]

Many thanks guys for the usual good advice. I will start the search for one of these tang thingies. I have ammended my sail order to see if I can get the ' longer black'slides fitted (from previous threads) I recall that if I subsequently had to fit wheeled cars then it would be advisable to have the intermediate sliders fixed on loose webbing.
I will also investigate a new/secondhand boom.
Thanks again

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[sailorman]

y not have a "loose foot" sail then simple strap around the boom.
if u go fully battened u may find the sail will stack higher than the existing one.
i have a fully battened sail by Gowen / Ocean( GO sails) it has all bells / whistles frederickson cars (the type that fit into the sali track) fitted to battens/ head board only, remainder are conventional sliders in the sail track.
this sail now 4 seasons use & is brilliant.
OCEAN SAILS
110 COAST ROAD
WEST MERSEA
COLCHESTER
ESSEX
CO5 - 8NA
Bus: 01206 38 44 12
Bus Fax: 01206 38 44 12


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[Guest]

Re: Forgot - Why ??

My pendants tie off under the boom .... without eyes or holes etc.

In fact - daft as it sounds - I am so sick of slugs that I am thinking about reverting back to luff groove sail and use roller-boom allied to the slab reef points .....

So a lot of you lot won't like that suggestion ..... but it's my boat !!!


<hr width=100% size=1>Cheers Nigel http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/searider/

 

[dickhicks]

Yes, my fully battened also stacks much higher at the mast as the mast slide slot doesn't go down as far as the boom, my sails also made by Gowen incidently but don't know how old it is - I guess at least 10/12 yrs old but still in good condition.

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[janie]

Luff-groove

When we converted over last winter from roller boom to slab reefing, we kept a luff groove and are not regretting it.

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