• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

Boom Elevation Question

Unsettled1

Member I
I have attached a photo of an Ericson 27 Mast. Found it on this site. If you notice the boom is about a foot higher than the cleat near the bottom of the mast which has a yellowish rusty colored rope tied to it. The boom is located just above the winch on the Port side of the mast. I assume this is about normal location on the mast for the boom to sit.

My boom is sitting on that cleat near the bottom making my boom sit very low, and obviously it shouldn't be sitting there. What part am I missing that holds my boom where it should be??

I hope this makes sense.
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I have to say I sort of miss a gooseneck that moves. Currently I have to winch the dickens out of the halyard to move the draft of the mainsail forward. Being able to haul down seemed to have more effect on the lower sail.

I suppose I should rig a cunningham.
 

G Kiba

Sustaining Member
The boom should line-up with that black line on the mast or there abouts. Depends on the length of the luff of your main. The goose neck on my 73' E27 is supported by a sail stop. The bottom of the goose neck rests on the stop and a down haul line tied to the bottom of the goose neck is secured on that cleat below.I think this was how halyard tension was originally intended to be set. That's why you have no sail stop as the boom was meant to be pulled down and secured.

Installing a sail stop will allow you to tension the main like every else. With just the halyard. The down haul can be used to hold the boom down against the stop once you have the right position worked out.

The sail stop is a 1/2" diameter aluminum rod that is about an inch in length. At the midpoint of the cylinder (along its length), it has a threaded through hole (#10-24) perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder. This is for a screw to lock the stop in the sail groove . Mine has a socket head cap screw. Purchased sail stops usually have a knurled head fastener for hand tightening.

You can make one if you have a hack saw, drill, and a tap. You can buy 1/2" aluminum rod from most hardware stores.

Remove your the boom via sail slot, slide in your stop and lock it in place, reinstall the boom and adjust to the height that works for your main.

I have a stop installed above and below the goose neck on my boom - so no down haul line is not needed. I use the cleat to secure a simple cunningham.

Good luck.
 
Last edited:

Jeff Asbury

Principal Partner
Been there, done that.

Grant is correct when he says "Depends on the length of the luff of your main". When I replaced my old main with a full batten one I had to make adjustments to the position of my gooseneck that also slides in the sail track. I spoke to a rigger and a sailmaker. They both suggested that I install a bolt above and below the gooseneck inside the sail track. I drilled and tapped threaded holes for the bolt inside the track. Then I placed washers on the outsides of the track before I installed the bolts.

Yes I think originally there must have been a sail stop underneath the gooseneck but I am not the original owner and when I got my boat there was just a screw holding up the gooseneck. Yeah, that sliding gooseneck with a sail stop to hold it up was a old school concept. That’s what my rigger told me any way.

Yes as "fullandbuy" says, "If there isn't a band marking this location on your mast, you will have to locate it yourself. You could also hoist the main to determine a height to set it at".

Sorry I couldn't provide you with a better photo right now, but you might be able to see the bolt at the bottom of the gooseneck in this photo on my E-27.

Good Luck
 

Attachments

  • Gooseneck.jpg
    Gooseneck.jpg
    95.8 KB · Views: 269
Last edited:
Top