Fwd exit of reef lines on boom without exit in goose plate?

[Franziska]

Hi,

we are about to change our reefing system and I'm thinking about how to exit the reefing lines next to the gooseneck on the boom.

Boat is a 35ft cruising cat.
The boom is of an unknown brand.

Sail has a bolt rope at the bottom, it's not loose footed.

Currently there is an out haul and three reefing lines.

One of the reefing lines is retrofit and runs outside of the boom.

Currently the reefing lines enter the bottom at the back end and exit at several staggered locations along the boom through stainless halyard exits and go onto stoppers mounted on the boom.

There is no exit for them at the front end.

As we like to lead them aft, they now need to go to the gooseneck.

Options I'm pondering. Especially regarding the risk of weakening the boom:


1)
Dismount the stoppers on the boom and run outside to blocks beside the gooseneck.
It will not look nice, but no new holes.

2)
Cut new outlets close to the gooseneck.
Cut two of them on each side, above each other, but vertical as much apart as possible. See tape on photo.

3)
Cut as above, but stagger them also longitudinally (aft end of one is longitudinally the end of other).
See tape on photo.

4)
Cut a big hole in the bottom of the boom and find/built a sheave box.
Will be difficult to do and probably weaken the boom a lot.

Thoughts and comments on this?

[barcoMeCasa]

couple thoughts might be worth a look >

I replaced a lot of the reef lines with dyneema, as much a possible with some polyester for the clutches. seems to work very well so far, low friction & very little weight.

Dyneema constrictor clutches are pretty cheap n easy to make, exiting both ends through the side of the "clutch" seems to work fine, then just need somewhere to fasten to. Would mean needing a winch somewhere to divert the reef line to for tensioning.
Sort of a cheaper version of--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXDOFDzebcI

Might be worth a play anyway, good luck

[Leadfree]

Google 'boom end sheaves'

[barnakiel]

You have many good options.


A) measure your boom, look up Selden (expensive), Z-Spar (less expensive but just as good), etc. catalogues - they may have a boom end that will fit. 3 exits, vertical, below the boom. Just at the neck. Then blocks at the foot of the mast, then blocks/jammers close to the cockpit.



b) run all reefs outside the boom, easy and no mods to the boom required - the blocks can be tied onto a spectra runner line along the boom, this is simple, but does not work on big sails too well,


c) use fixed (riveted) blocks on the boom, etc. this is often done as a retrofit, on booms that do not have a side groove,


d) buy the whole new boom, with internal aft and forward sheaves leading up and down, this is best, and not very expensive either, there are many styles and some have jammers built-in (in the front sheaves) - these are very good IF you reef from 'at the mast' position. Some do. I prefer reefing from the cockpit though (as I often reef alone and I like to be in the cockpit for my safety, and to control the boat at the same time too).


Basically easy peasy and you can, I think, try out the solutions one by one, then stop when you find something that works for you.


Here they took the Z-Spar way:



https://www.impala28.co.uk/maintenan...lacing-a-boom/



b.

[barnakiel]

ps you can also build the part - in alloy plates and epoxy/glass - easy, full control of the design, but time consuming


just like any time, if you build yours, you get all the fun, and may (or not) save some $$


b.

[Lee Jerry]

Note that by doing this, you will:

1. Be ~doubling the compression force in the boom.
2. Adding to the force on the gooseneck by the sum the four lines (whatever is in each of them at any given time). That gooseneck does not look particularly robust.
3. ? (I had a third in mind earlier but forget what it was. Maybe it'll come to me at 3am. )