Hood Boom and Gooseneck Help

[Kenomac]

Our Hood Boom gooseneck has developed a horrible sound over the past week, and I need to get it quickly diagnosed before things get any worse. Presently, I've immobilized the boom in order to prevent any further wear. To me it sounds like the gooseneck bushings are worn out and need replacement. Is this what the problem is, and is it something I can repair myself on a 53 ft sailboat?

Here's a video of the issue, it also rocks or twists slightly at the fitting if you look closely. It's painful to listen to.

Thanks for your help.

Ken

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vOX0YCc7TmU

[Alan Mighty]

I cannot help other than to say:

* my boom is not a Hood, but the gooseneck looks v similar. In my case, a much smaller boat and hence smaller loads, there's no bushing - it's just plain bearings (a vertical pin at the mast end and a bolt running horizontally at the boom end). I disassemble every 5 or so years and coat the bolt and pin with my own mix of lithium white grease and anhydrous lanolin;

* that little jerk it makes suggests to me a problem with the integrity of the vertical pin. I think you have to disassemble to inspect. Soon. Very soon.

[Kenomac]

Help is arriving in two days. I also contacted Oyster, Hood and a rigger. Thanks for your help.

[Kenomac]

The boom is coming off in two days time when my help, arrives for the voyage to Montenegro. We will lube and grease everything and change out the nylon washers as suggested by Formula, the makers of the Hood boom.

Keeping my fingers crossed that it's just a case of dry bushings.

[exMaggieDrum]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

The boom is coming off in two days time when my help, arrives for the voyage to Montenegro. We will lube and grease everything and change out the nylon washers as suggested by Formula, the makers of the Hood boom.

Keeping my fingers crossed that it's just a case of dry bushings.

You may be on your way to getting it fixed right. IME nylon bushing can and will eventually crack, wear out, whatever. Then you have metal to metal which in your case you may not want. Lube will help in the near term but you need to replace the bushings. While you are at it you may want to get a spare set.

My Kenyon gooseneck does not use bushings although it does have spacers on the through bolts. It is metal to metal. I just replaced one and got a spare. I need to get a spare for the other axis as well.

Make sure you torque the nuts down right (if needed) and put a safety pin to keep nuts on (if needed). You don't want anything to back off (like mine did). Winter winds move my not-well-enough-secured boom back and forth and worked off the nyloc nut on the one bolt. Then the bolt came out part way. Freaked me out. It turns out that nylocs are very problematic with stainless steel. They require some kind of anti-seize lube to keep them from galling. And I put a cotter pin on the outside of the bolt to keep them on.

Of course, do yours the way the Hood guys say.

[Starblossom]

I suggest you contact
Eric Pearson
14 Backstay St
Jamestown, RI 02835
401 423 1568
I have 2 hood booms on my 62 ft schooner that are 33 years old.
Eric was able to get me parts and or rebuild parts that were no longer available since Hood went out of business.
He used to work for them is very familiar with their systems
good Luck

[Dockhead]

Hi Ken:

You'll soon find out what the problem is. Pulling the boom off (easy to do with a sling and a spare main halyard) is the only way to find out for sure. My WAG would be that you've got disintegrated plastic bushings -- the wiggle would be the clue.

But only a WAG -- my boom is Selden and different from yours (surprising, as I thought all Oysters of that period had Selden rigs), with open gudgeons and no bushings. I've never done any maintenance on it, and now you've made me paranoid, so I'll check it out next time I'm on board.

[nigel1]

My gooseneck fitting has also just started making that nasty squeak.
It's never had any nylon bushes or washers. (Z-Spars).
I removed the pin and pulled back the boom, lubed everything and re-assembled.
The noise is still there, but nowhere near as bad as before, I'm certain the cause is friction between the toggle and the mast fitting.
Have ordered some nylon fender/penny washers, and will fit these, hopefully that will fix it.

[nigel1]

Ken

I did you sort out the gooseneck. If you did, what was the problem, and the fix.
Be useful information for the rest of us.
Thanks

[Kenomac]

It seemed to sort itself out for a few days, then returned. The boom needs to come off and the pins need to be properly lubricated. I'll probably have it limp along over the next five weeks, then tackle the issue when I haul out the boat at the end of September.

[nigel1]

My gooseneck fitting is from Z-Spars, no bushings of any kind. The mast fitting takes the weight of the boom fitting and there is direct aluminium to aluminium contact.

I bought some delrin type shims, drilled out to 12mm, and fitted this between the parts which removed the direct contact, and lubed the pin at the same time.
Fitted this on my own while at anchor, which was easier than I expected, halyard to lift weight of the boom, remove split pins, and punched out the pin. (Lining it all back afterwards was not so easy)

Next morning, hoisted main, weighed anchor (dont tell Don I sailed off the anchor), and on my way. Squeak squeak, WTF. After more investigation, turns out the noise was from the sheave in the boom which the outhaul is led over. Found this out simply by slacking the outhaul.

More lube on the sheaves and noise stopped.