Boom or Bust (long winded)

I would not have thought finding a suitable replacement for my E27's boom would be such a frustrating ordeal here in the Pacific Northwest. After researching this web site I called all of the manufacturers mentioned. Pacific Seacraft recommended LeFiel. LeFiel was surprised by this and said they didn't think they could help and sent me to Dwyer. Dwyer has an excellent web site which illustsrates their extrusions quite well. I inquired about their mast section DM6 and they were kind enough to send me a sample for free. It is tantelizingly close to the OEM shape of the E27 boom, but not close enough to reuse my gooseneck and outhaul castings (which show almost 30 years of wear and tear anyway). Two Pacific NorthWest companies showed me their product offerings, but none are anodized, and they could only provide best guess specifications as to alloy type (6061 or 6063) and moment of inertia statistics. They are distributors, not manufacturers and one buys from LeFiel. The other wouldn't say. Another East coast vendor, RigRite, also has an excellent website, and I was considering one of their extrusions, Kenyon model E which is stronger in the Ixx axis but not as strong in the Iyy axis as the original S104 Sparcraft boom. Shipping costs alone would make this one very costly piece of tubing. Can anyone add some encouraging advice? Are there any success stories to share? Boomless in Seattle.

Try Chesapeake Rigging

Chesapeake Rigging in Annapolis, MD might be able to help. You're still going to have freight issues, but you could always just send it LTL on a truck.
The guys at Ches. Rigging are always very helpful (had a hydr. backstay rebuilt and tested in 2.5 days in a rush before a race) and should at least be able to answer your questions in an intelligent fashion.
Chris

http://www.chesapeakerigging.com/main.html

Boom woes

Have you tried Ballenger spars in Watsonville, CA. They are a good resource for mast and boom sections. ballengerspars.com Good luck Ryan Ericson 25+ Moonglow

boom or bust

Thank you both for the suggestions. I checked with Ballenger and am awaiting their information. They seem promising, and they're relatively near. I'll keep Chesapeake Riggers in mind too...just in case.
I'm a bit surprised that only two sailors responded to my message. But then, this might attest to the strength and quality of Ericson Yachts...replacement of spars rarely comes up
Dave Hussey

I'm suprised that LeFiell wasn't more helpful. They built new masts and
booms for my current boat and my dad's boat as well. The other company
I considered was Forespar in Rancho Santa Margarita. They built new
spreaders for my previous boat and did an excellent job. You may not
be able to get an exact match for your old spar but either of these
companies should get you pretty close.

LeFiell

Martin,
I had been looking for an exact replacement for my boom. I wanted to keep the look and character of the original design, with it's gracefully tapered and polished end castings, and the tear-drop cross section. Oh well, if I'm to get any sailing in this spring, I'm going to have to broaden my search parameters, and acceptance of alternatives. Looks like I'll be talking to LeFiell again soon.
Thank's for the info.
Dave Hussey