H36 Boom Rebuild

Aug 10, 2010
104
Hunter 36, Quarter Berth Model Placid Harbor, Cuckold Crk, Patuxent River
Since it's winter I decided to rebuild the boom on our 1982 H36. I had recently purchased new sails and had the canvas maker install a double reef in the main. When I installed the second reef line I noticed that the 2nd reefing sheave in the outhaul cap of the boom was just about completely deteriorated. The first reef sheave wasn't in the best shape either, but since it had a line around it for most of it's 35 year life, it was somewhat protected from the sun. So I figured I would replace those sheaves. Come to find out the only way to do that was to remove the outhaul cap...but after 35 years of stainless steel bolts installed in an aluminum cap, I'm sure with no anti-sieze installed at the factory, they needed to be drilled out. Easier said than done. So off came the boom and the decision to rebuild and paint the whole shebang. Wish I took more "before" pictures, and I'm not done yet, so here is the beginning saga.

Step one was to grind down the bolts for both caps (three in the front and two at the aft end). That was the easy part. Drilling out the screws was rather difficult, best I could manage was to drill enough material away so that I could pry out the old bolts. Because I buggered up the holes real well, I needed to re-tap new, larger threads. I needed to go big on the front cap so I used 3/8-16 threads. Unfortunately I really buggered up the outhaul cap holes. I couldn't reuse it as-is so I looked into a replacement. Talk about a reality check.

I eventually discovered the original boom is made by Kenyon and the only supplier of OEM parts that I found is Rig-Rite. My year H36 used a Kenyon model 3756 spar with the "cut-away" for the outhaul section. The replacement outhaul cap is part K-43003, but it is no longer available. There is another outhaul cap (K-11472M) - but they quoted me $630! And while it came with new sheaves, I thought that was ridiculous.
They also quoted me $1699 for just the boom section. The front gooseneck was also not available, but I imagine that would have cost around $800 at least....so I looked into alternatives. I called US Spar and was quoted about $950 for a complete new boom with double reef capability and nothing else needed other than shipping. While significantly less than a new boom rig from Rig Rite, I decided to rebuild the old since it was really it useable condition, except for the outhaul cap. I took the outhaul cap to a local welding shop so they could weld on some new tabs so that I could re-tap them and use the existing mounting holes in the boom. I haven't picked it up yet, but was told they should be able to do it...so I was in business.
 
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Aug 10, 2010
104
Hunter 36, Quarter Berth Model Placid Harbor, Cuckold Crk, Patuxent River
Part 2. Old boom after sanding. Waiting for some better temps to re-paint. I decided to use Rustoleum Marine primer and top coat. I've heard good things about it, and it's half the cost of Brightsides single-part polyurethene, so I figured why not.
IMG_8130.JPG


Cut-away section of the outhaul portion of the boom.
IMG_5749.JPG

Regarding the original gooseneck. My boom had the old-style spring-loaded toggles for the reefing lines, The sheaves were OK - but probably could use replacing, and while the springs were fine in the toggles, I never liked how the reefing lines routed out of the gooseneck. They pretty much required two hands to take up slack when reefing. Come to find out that Rig Rite carries an upgrade kit to convert the old spring-operated reef levers to newer cams that have a line shield as well - making the reefing operation smoother. Again it was a ridiculous price, but I figured it would make reefing a little more enjoyable so I pulled the trigger; it's part #K11443 and is a whopping $289. Considering what you get for the kits it's a joke, but I decided anyways to do it. Here is a picture of the gooseneck after rebuilding. I decided to powder coat it while it was all cleaned up (had to grind off all the old paint, and I only had red powder to use, but its much cleaner than before) - imagine a nice mix of bare aluminum and old faded/chipped black paint.
IMG_0253.JPG


..more to come as I pick up the outhaul cap from the welder next week (and I'll probably powder coat it as well) and then paint the boom.
 
May 27, 2004
1,964
Hunter 30_74-83 Ponce Inlet FL
For those of you in a similar predicament with a late 70's early 80's Hunter, I have met an owner who is parting out a 78 H30C.
He has many of the parts mentioned in the original post, as well as other parts. His boat was hull damaged in Irma last Fall.
Send me a PM if you need help.
 

Alctel

.
Dec 13, 2013
264
Hunter 36 Victoria
Ooo that red gooseneck looks smart!
I did something similar with the end cap but I manage to get all but one screw out, and then just cut off the head of that one and drilled + tapped a new hole just above it.

I also got the gooseneck reef upgrade kit - havent installed it yet though (needs to stop f'n raining first)
 
Aug 10, 2010
104
Hunter 36, Quarter Berth Model Placid Harbor, Cuckold Crk, Patuxent River
Good to know Ggrizzard. If the welding shop can't help me I'l probably be giving you a shout.
Thanks Alctel - hope the rain stops for you. I think the upgrade, while well overpriced, is a good modification.
 

tmjb

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Mar 13, 2012
222
Hunter 36C Glen Cove
I own an '81 H36 with a boom in similar condition. Decided to tackle that this winter together with replacing the traveler which is a whole other topic. I'll try and post my experience with this before too long but for anyone with questions let me know. Suffice it to say that removal was not fun.

Re the boom, I also need some new sheeves at the ends but was planning to contact Rig-Rite to see how mcuh and whether replacing them all together might be a good option. Now I know! Thanks for that info. Did you get part numbers and prices for the sheeves? Unfortunately I don't have the ability to powder coat (looks great!) so I'm looking into other options to refinish these together with the boom. I've been thinking of using Alodine 600 or 1200 (still reading) especially for the boom and maybe leaving it at that or possibly topcoating with paint. Any opinions/pointers/experience?

I don't quite understand how the modified gooseneck toggles work better than the old. I'd much appreciate an explanation.
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
FYI, I used Rustoleum self etching primer and top-coated with standard Rustoleum gloss white enamel. It hasn't been out in salt yet but it seems to be holding up well so far. BTW, I only painted the last 12 inches of the boom section near cap/outhaul, that was the only place where the corrosion was bad enough.
 

tmjb

.
Mar 13, 2012
222
Hunter 36C Glen Cove
Thanks CloudDiver. That sounds like an option.

In my case I need to refinish the entire boom and subsequently the mast so I’m interested in seeing if the Alodine alone will suffice since it saves one or more steps.
 
Aug 10, 2010
104
Hunter 36, Quarter Berth Model Placid Harbor, Cuckold Crk, Patuxent River
Did you get part numbers and prices for the sheeves?

I don't quite understand how the modified gooseneck toggles work better than the old. I'd much appreciate an explanation.
Hello,
Part numbers for the outhaul sheaves are (from the Rig Rite website which in my opinion could use a serious overhaul/update) - Reefing Sheave for 3756 Outhaul Ass'y: part number K-10347:
Molded Nylon sheave w/ integral Bronze bushing is 1 7/8" OD x 35/64" (<9/16") wide x 3/8" ID. They are $42 each!

The updated goose-neck toggles no longer have a spring in them - they rely on their teeth more to hold the reefing line in place when it is under a load during reefing. The best part about the upgrade are the $4 (my guess on cost) stainless steel plates that prevent the reefing line from "falling off" the sheaves. I haven't had a chance to use mine yet of course, but it seems like a nice upgrade, pricey though for sure. The kit comes with new sheaves as well, not sure what those cost alone as they are different then the out haul sheaves, I suspect they are approx $35 each?
 
Aug 10, 2010
104
Hunter 36, Quarter Berth Model Placid Harbor, Cuckold Crk, Patuxent River
I own an '81 H36 with a boom in similar condition. Decided to tackle that this winter together with replacing the traveler which is a whole other topic. I'll try and post my experience with this before too long but for anyone with questions let me know. Suffice it to say that removal was not fun.
I replaced our traveler a few years ago with a Garhauer model. Works much better! Had to replace the track as well of course. I sent in the old one but it was lost by UPS 9the box made it to them but, alas, no track), so they reimbursed me the cost of the new track which was nice, but I had to take precise measurements for Garhauer to construct a new track - luckily the holes lined up and it installed without any major issues. The hardest part was removing the end bolts on the old track - I had to have the boat yard do that for me...I can send some pictures if you are interested.
 

tmjb

.
Mar 13, 2012
222
Hunter 36C Glen Cove
Hello,
Part numbers for the outhaul sheaves are (from the Rig Rite website which in my opinion could use a serious overhaul/update) - Reefing Sheave for 3756 Outhaul Ass'y: part number K-10347:
Molded Nylon sheave w/ integral Bronze bushing is 1 7/8" OD x 35/64" (<9/16") wide x 3/8" ID. They are $42 each!

The updated goose-neck toggles no longer have a spring in them - they rely on their teeth more to hold the reefing line in place when it is under a load during reefing. The best part about the upgrade are the $4 (my guess on cost) stainless steel plates that prevent the reefing line from "falling off" the sheaves. I haven't had a chance to use mine yet of course, but it seems like a nice upgrade, pricey though for sure. The kit comes with new sheaves as well, not sure what those cost alone as they are different then the out haul sheaves, I suspect they are approx $35 each?
Thanks so much for the explanation re the gooseneck toggles. That makes sense - although, as you said, the price is outrageous! My original sheeves at the gooseneck are fine so, given the price, I may hold off on that for the moment. It would be good to hear your experience using the modifed version.

Many thanks also for the info re the outhaul sheeves. Great to know. Isn;t there somewheree to source sheeves of the right specs at a more reasonable price?
 

tmjb

.
Mar 13, 2012
222
Hunter 36C Glen Cove
I replaced our traveler a few years ago with a Garhauer model. Works much better! Had to replace the track as well of course. I sent in the old one but it was lost by UPS 9the box made it to them but, alas, no track), so they reimbursed me the cost of the new track which was nice, but I had to take precise measurements for Garhauer to construct a new track - luckily the holes lined up and it installed without any major issues. The hardest part was removing the end bolts on the old track - I had to have the boat yard do that for me...I can send some pictures if you are interested.
Great to hear this too. Drilling out the screws for the end caps was a bear for me too but I got there eventually. My track is now on the way to Guido at Garhauer via UPS. Let's hope I have bettter luck with that although most of my old mounting holes are not so usable for various reasons such as the hole was no good originally, one end cap was not aligned with the centerline of the track, so I'm pretty much decided I'll be filling most of the old holes and drilling/tapping new and the old track is therefore maybe not so useful. Greta that they reimbursed you for your new track..

I'd be very interested to know which traveler type Guido recommended for you and to see any pictures.

Also did you end up with a vertically curved (cambered) track and, if so, how much was the camber? My original track was curved about 5/8" but it turns out this was not enough and so they just screwed it down as tight as they could each end. By my survey below a straight edge I seem to need about 1.5"

Thanks so much for your input.
 
Aug 10, 2010
104
Hunter 36, Quarter Berth Model Placid Harbor, Cuckold Crk, Patuxent River
TMJB,
I can hopefully find some dimensions tonight. 1.5" sounds about right but it was a few years ago so I'll need to find the drawings. Will also send some pictures tonight - hopefully I have some on the computer, otherwise it may be the weekend before I can get to the boat...
 

tmjb

.
Mar 13, 2012
222
Hunter 36C Glen Cove
TMJB,
I can hopefully find some dimensions tonight. 1.5" sounds about right but it was a few years ago so I'll need to find the drawings. Will also send some pictures tonight - hopefully I have some on the computer, otherwise it may be the weekend before I can get to the boat...
I really appreciate it. Thanks so much.
 
Aug 10, 2010
104
Hunter 36, Quarter Berth Model Placid Harbor, Cuckold Crk, Patuxent River
So I was able to find some of the original letters I sent to Garhauer with some measurements. Looks like it was a 1-13/16" drop on each end of the traveller (see pdf attachment). Looks like the original traveller was a Nicro-Fico 7/8" X-Trac #NF610 with a 4-wheel traveller car #NF584 with single sheave ends #NF16159 and a Fiddle Block w/becket #NF Sch15-18x. I must have looked that up on Rig-Rite because I see in my notes to replace those back in 2013 was around $817 for parts. I purchased the MT-2CT-P traveller system from Garhauer, back then it was $575. I ordered the Garhauer system without the cam cleats...but they sent the cam cleat version anyways. Eventually I removed the cam cleats and installed two jamcleats mounted closer to the cockpit (can just barely make one of them out in
the first picture towards the top middle). I eventually replaced the original blocks with Garhauer 40-series blocks (one # 40-19, one 40-01, and three 40-13s) picture still shows the old blocks on the new traveller.
IMG_1187.jpg
IMG_1188.jpg
IMG_1189.jpg

Overall very pleased with the new system. Can easily move the main sail under load from side to side.
 

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May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
chichiflys, good job, looks great. you clearly do fine work

i love bowlines. use them all the time. using a bowline in this application is great. however, have you ever used a halyard knot or halyard hitch. same great strength, just a cleaner look. you just might like learning a new trick for the fun of it.

 
Last edited:
Aug 10, 2010
104
Hunter 36, Quarter Berth Model Placid Harbor, Cuckold Crk, Patuxent River
Hi Jon - thanks for the suggestion. I'll take a look and check those out. Now is a good time to re-do that line attachment...will give that a try. Cheers!
 

Alctel

.
Dec 13, 2013
264
Hunter 36 Victoria
How is the traveler attached? Is there a metal plate underneath that is tapped and so the bolts screw into?

I tried to remove my end caps and had 0 luck
 

tmjb

.
Mar 13, 2012
222
Hunter 36C Glen Cove
So I was able to find some of the original letters I sent to Garhauer with some measurements. Looks like it was a 1-13/16" drop on each end of the traveller (see pdf attachment). Looks like the original traveller was a Nicro-Fico 7/8" X-Trac #NF610 with a 4-wheel traveller car #NF584 with single sheave ends #NF16159 and a Fiddle Block w/becket #NF Sch15-18x. I must have looked that up on Rig-Rite because I see in my notes to replace those back in 2013 was around $817 for parts. I purchased the MT-2CT-P traveller system from Garhauer, back then it was $575. I ordered the Garhauer system without the cam cleats...but they sent the cam cleat version anyways. Eventually I removed the cam cleats and installed two jamcleats mounted closer to the cockpit (can just barely make one of them out in
the first picture towards the top middle). I eventually replaced the original blocks with Garhauer 40-series blocks (one # 40-19, one 40-01, and three 40-13s) picture still shows the old blocks on the new traveller.
View attachment 146822 View attachment 146823 View attachment 146824
Overall very pleased with the new system. Can easily move the main sail under load from side to side.
Many thanks once again. It looks terrific. Your traveler looks just like the one recommended to me although the model number has a T before the P, i.e. MT-2CT-TP. I don't see one without the T on their website. Was that maybe a typo or have they maybe modified it slightly and thus changed the model number?

When you say you replaced the blocks for Garhauer 40-series I assume you're referring to the blocks for the mainsheet?

Re attachment of the track, how many screws do you have attaching the new track to the cabin top on each side of the companionway hatch cover? (I consider the screws between the track and the cover to be of little or no structural use and that the track in effect bridges over this area - so the end screws are the important ones in terms of strength. My original track had two screws for the end caps plus three others between the track itself and the cabin top on each side of the companionway.)

Regarding moving the mainsail under load with the new traveler, is this something you can do by hand or do you need to use the winches somehow? I am debating this issue in connection with the alignment of the cam cleats. Also, what diameter line do you use for the traveler?
 

tmjb

.
Mar 13, 2012
222
Hunter 36C Glen Cove
How is the traveler attached? Is there a metal plate underneath that is tapped and so the bolts screw into?

I tried to remove my end caps and had 0 luck
Yes there appear to be aluminum plates embedded in the fiberglass in the mount areas on each side of the companionway hatch cover just like at the mount areas for the cabin top winches.

The end caps were a bear. After lengthy soaking with PB, I tried an impact screwdriver until the heads broke off (no turning back). This worked (with much effort in most cases) for the screws between the track and the cabin top but not of the end caps. Re the caps, I then proceeded to try to remove their screws with bolt extractors which didn't work. I really had no idea what the caps consisted of (until after I got them off of course!) so I then resorted to drilling the excessively long screws out using a clamped on drill guide to try and keep the bit straight and aligned. I had limited success with the latter but eventually managed to free up the caps enough to pry them off (leaving the screws behind, only to find that they are hollow castings (see attached photos). Had I known they were largely hollow I might have just taken a sawzall to them although the screws were totally corroded into the aluminum so it would still have been a challenge. I was also afraid off possibly damaging the cabin top below.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have more questions.
 

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