Why is my boom mounted on a track

[KAM]

The boom on my IOR era 10m boat is mounted on a 500mm long pin stop track. Not sure why it was done like this. Can anyone explain. I always have the boom at the bottom of the track if it's at the top I can't get full tension. Should I have a down haul on it. Why would this be better than using the halyard winch. Any advice much appreciated.

 

[john_morris_uk]

It's not seen very often on offshore boats as a Cunningham gives you sail shape control at that corner of the sail in most set ups. Perhaps it was fitted at the whim of an ex owner who was an ex traditional dinghy sailor? I seem to remember applying luff tension on old GP14's with a gooseneck on a track when I was learning to sail.

 

[Lucky Duck]

Why is the 'boom track' thread closed?

Was going to contribute....

 

[KAM]

I don't know I started it. Perhaps we could carry on here. The track was factory fitted. Sail is not loose footed.

 

[jasperthedog]

I am also interested as my boat a contest 29 is rigged the same way.

 

[VicS]

I don't know I started it. Perhaps we could carry on here. The track was factory fitted. Sail is not loose footed.

Common on dingies when the luff is tensioned by pulling the boom down and small boats where its tensioned with a down haul. Mine is like that having no halyard winches.

PITA because it complicates running halyards and reefing lines back to the cockpit.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I've tried to sort it and my apologies if I pressed the wrong button.

Hopefully I've merged the threads together now and it will all fall into place.

 

[bedouin]

We have a similar arrangement. The main gets hauled up with a halyard (without a winch) and then tensioned with the downhaul (with a 2 or 3:1 purchase).

Not a whole lot of advantage over a halyard, which is probably why they are not found any more. The only real benefit is that as it works in the same direction as mainsheet and kicker it is easier to tweak the luff tension without de-powering the main.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Is there a black band at the mast head and a black band in the area of the gooseneck? If so when racing the tack and the head must be between these lines. Perhaps in light airs the main was hoisted to the mast top black band to keep the draught as high as possible, then in stronger winds the boom lowered to the bottom band and then the luff tensioned on the halyard as normal but no higher than the black band.

 

[KAM]

Yes it did have black bands and these are shown on the original designers sail plan drawing. This also shows fixed main boom gooseneck but the track is definitely original. I would not have thought having the sail a few inches higher on a 40 foot mast would make much difference.

 

[Poignard]

This was a common arrangement on yachts having roller reefing (around the boom).

Mine has it although she was long ago converted to slab reefing. I like having the downhaul. I can quickly masthead the main without needing a winch and then use the downhaul tackle to tension the luff. This is useful when getting away under sail downwind from a crowded anchorage. I can hoist the main rapidly when I round up and then tension the luff later when I have more sea room.

Gravity helps a downhaul!

 

[Lakesailor]

I don't have experience of big sails but on my tiddlers I've found that once I've got the main hoisted and the mainsheet is taut so that the leech is tight there may still be some looseness in the foot. Adjusting the gooseneck height can lessen that fullness, depending on the wind strength.

 

[William_H]

I have seen this track arrangement on smaller (cheaper) keel boats and dinghies. I think it is proimarily a way to get luff tension on the mainsail without the use of winches on the halyard. So you haul up the sail to the top cleat off the halyard then pull down the tack to get the desired tension. it is much easier to stretch the luff from the bottom down thna via the halyard. It is also a convenient way to remove boom.
In practice I think the halyard can stretch and the boom ends up being too low.
if it were my boat I would change it to a fixed gooseneck at the desired (correct ) height then buy a halyard winch for applying halyardand so luff tension. olewill

 

[Poignard]

I have seen this track arrangement on smaller (cheaper) keel boats and dinghies. I think it is proimarily a way to get luff tension on the mainsail without the use of winches on the halyard. So you haul up the sail to the top cleat off the halyard then pull down the tack to get the desired tension. it is much easier to stretch the luff from the bottom down thna via the halyard. It is also a convenient way to remove boom.
In practice I think the halyard can stretch and the boom ends up being too low.
if it were my boat I would change it to a fixed gooseneck at the desired (correct ) height then buy a halyard winch for applying halyardand so luff tension. olewill

My boat has halyard winches and the downhaul.

Before I replaced my roller-reefing boom with a slab-reefing one I used to used to reef as follows:

1. Slack away the main halyard to let the gooseneck down to the bottom of its track.

2. Belay the halyard.

3. Fit the roller-reefing handle and wind up the sail. As the sail rolls round the boom the gooseneck travels up its track, thereby maintaining some tension in the luff due to the weight of the boom and getting a tight roll.

4. When the gooseneck reaches the top of its track, stretch the luff using the downhaul

(Repeat steps 1-4 depending how much you need to reduce sail area.)

This was very easy and could be done sitting on the coachroof in rough weather.

If I had been able to get a replacement for my roller-reefing boom after it broke, I would probably have stayed with roller-reefing. It's certainly very easy to use and you could reef downwind.

 

[Lakesailor]

if it were my boat I would change it to a fixed gooseneck at the desired (correct ) height then buy a halyard winch for applying halyardand so luff tension. olewill

What is the point of that? You can just leave the gooseneck at that height without having to change it.

 

[KAM]

Not sure I am any clearer understanding what my yacht builder or designer had in mind. Just to recap I have a substantial halyard winch, slab reefing and gooseneck on a track with pin stops. Its a 40 foot mast I get the sail most of the way up without the winch but the final few feet are quite difficult. The boom is a very heavy proctor (I can only just lift it) and certainly could not be lifted to the top of the track along with the mainsail by hand. The track is very handy for removing the gooseneck at the end of the season though. Is there some clause in the old IOR which required the mainsail to be set in a specific position relative to the rest of the boat.

 

[Fantasie 19]

My boat has halyard winches and the downhaul.

Before I replaced my roller-reefing boom with a slab-reefing one I used to used to reef as follows:

1. Slack away the main halyard to let the gooseneck down to the bottom of its track.

2. Belay the halyard.

3. Fit the roller-reefing handle and wind up the sail. As the sail rolls round the boom the gooseneck travels up its track, thereby maintaining some tension in the luff due to the weight of the boom and getting a tight roll.

4. When the gooseneck reaches the top of its track, stretch the luff using the downhaul

(Repeat steps 1-4 depending how much you need to reduce sail area.)

This was very easy and could be done sitting on the coachroof in rough weather.

If I had been able to get a replacement for my roller-reefing boom after it broke, I would probably have stayed with roller-reefing. It's certainly very easy to use and you could reef downwind.

..absolutely +1 and exactly how I do it.. an extra half turn of the reefing handle at step #4 can remove the need for the downhaul to tension luff further as well.....