Bad boom; what to do?

[Cpt Mark]

Lot of good and reasonable advice about potential fixes and some I personally wouldn't think of doing ie: make a wooden one.

The best advice in this thread is to get a professional on board to evaluate your boat and give you a laundry list of what's needed. A good surveyor will also help educate you as to options.

A survey will also enable you to get insurance on the boat above liability only. If you haven't gotten insurance yet your marina will be requiring to be named as soon as they figure out you now own the boat.

Get to know your neighbors. There's a wealth of info there amongst them and you will find many will help.

Being given the boat you skipped the 1st step of boat ownership which is figuring out if the boat is something you want. Even a free boat like yours may not be what you want once you've figured out what it is you have. That's a well respected boat and builder so it probably just needs a lot of TLC but you really need to know that 1st.

[roverhi]

Have had similar problems with the boom on two different boats. Decided they were too far gone and replaced the booms. Went to the rigging department at Mack Sails in Florida (macksails.com). They ordered new internal reefing booms from Zspar and shipped them to me in California. Even with shipping cost was surprisingly reasonable and the new booms have worked great. One was just a new boom, the other was boom and three sails. Did have to pick them up at freight depot but any SUV with a roof rack should work. You've got a really nice boat that have held their value so a new boom wouldn't be putting lipstick on a pig like most boats that age.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by AmzngGrace

Crealock 37 from 1978.
Trying to rev her up.
Topping lift was stuck. Finally got a look at back of boom. Sheave was completely frozen. So, unscrewed the box that contains the TL and outhaul sheaves. It was heavily corroded. I am now at a “point” exactly 1/2 across the ocean with the following challenges:
1) Sheave is pressed in and cannot easily be removed; likely needing whole rear SS mechanism changed out. This vs “go to town” on the frozen corroded sheave to free it but not at all confident in success of that... This fixture is from 1978 on a LeFiell boom (doubt its available).
2) When i put the fixture (not sure what else to call it), back in its home at back of boom, at least 1 screw would not thread because of corrosion (5 of 6 did). I probably need to tap it up a size?
3) The ropes for T lift and outhaul need replaced but getting to the free end inside boom is a mystery. Probably need to unscrew/pry the cap closest to mast and go inside there to find free end. Its corroded a little there as well. Not sure if it will work.
4) Options are a) just go for it until its fixed or not, b) dont replace the ropes for TL and outhaul yet and get it back together with the 1 screw to fix with a retap and just hobble along until I take the mast down next winter, or c) f#$% it and get a new boom.
*Note, we are new sailors in PNW out of Seattle just want to sail a little bit this season to get used to the boat. Outhaul works and topping lift can probably be jury-rigged for a season.

Please help me know best option and absolute wrong option (if there is one). Thanks.

I'm in Mt Vernon too!
I cant see well enough, but is the shaft the sheaves are on kind of staked into the SS? Almost looking like rivets?
At any rate drill that out. Then you can go to plastic sheaves and use a SS bolt, pin or etc.
You should be able to drill and re tap those holes that hold it to the boom. Or you could use SS rivets.

To go for a temporary sail or two just use a figure 8 knot or etc to hold the outhaul/pull the foot of the sail taught. A topping lift is not a necessary item, but the boom will drop when you lower the main! So be careful about that.

If I were you I wold remove that boom, take it home and spend a month rebuilding it, sand, repaint etc. Or if you get all paint off you can leave it bare. You'll be glad you did.

[Mike Banks]

I can not vizualize your problem, but a topping lift on my vessel had its sheave in the top of the mast. Yet you say it is the boom? The only pulley blocks I had in my boom were for the outhaul of the foot of the sails, and for reefing.

So--if the problem is in the boom end, reef the sail to get space on the aft end of the boom and, using a loop of rope, make a Prusik tie to which a topping lift, or a jury rigged topping lift can be applied. Banging ropes will always accompany jury rigging, but that is better than being immobile on a vast ocean, reliant on your headsails in an unfavourable wind, and being in a current having exhausted one's supply of diesel fuel.

Of course wisdom post event is a bore--but NEVER put to sea without a complete running rigging check, no matter how frequently you put to sea. Check your mast, boom and stays at least ONCE a year.

I do like the Crealock 37 though.

[4eyes]

https://external-content.duckduckgo....gif&f=1&nofb=1

Sorry
I couldn't help myself.
I'll go sit in the corner over there.