Raising the boom

Has anyone got any experience raising the boom on a Catalina 380 Mk 1? The Admiral insisted on a high arched dodger and now I can't flatten out the leech so I either have to raise the boom or cut a wedge out of the mainsail. Thanks in advance

 

You raise the boom your still going to need to cut the mainsail. Share a picture of your boom and goose neck. Will be able to share ideas.

 

How many inches of clearance do you need? Modifying the dodger may be far better than raising the boom. (Including very careful negotiation with the Admiral, of course.) talking to a sailmaker about recutting your sail is the second choice. The luff (at the mast) gives far more power than the leach.

Raising the boom is a key design change, and will probably lower the resale value of your boat.
Curiosity: How high is your dodger above the cockpit floor? How tall is the Admiral? I would think that clearance under the boom would not be much of a problem on the 38?

This picture makes the point:
https://catalina.sailboatowners.com/album/album.php?pid=9835&task=sshow&mid=90

 

My brother did this modification on his Catalina 380. It worked out very well. One of the benefits of having the boom higher is that it allows the dodger to be higher. Getting in and out of the cabin can be uncomfortable if the dodger is low - so he really likes this modification. The boat looks great, not at all "top heavy", in my opinion. This is, of course, a very individual and subjective opinion. So, how did he do it?

The goose neck was taken off. A new "collar" - with gooseneck - was fabricated that wrapped part-way around the mast at the desired location. It was attached and the boom then attached to it. The sail was recut with a bit of a "rounded" head section. When you look at the sail it just looks regular. The boat sails great, and there might be some loss of downwind speed because of the (slightly) less sail area, but I can't tell.

The spar work was done at Svenson's yard in Alameda. The sail was recut at Doyle sails, also in Alameda. Anyone familiar with the SF Bay Area knows that these are two of the most respected shops around. So you can be sure the job is "ship-shape and Bristol fashion". It was a great modification. Hope this helps.

 

Thank you Scotty - it's on my list to talk to a local rigger about all of the above