Anyone Use a Boomkicker?

[highdesertM26]

I was looking at (and dreaming about) all the sailing accessories I'm going to need on my Mac 26S and I stumbled upon the Boomkicker. Looks like a pretty nifty alternative to a topping lift. Anyone have any experience or opinions on these things. Here's link to the sailboatowners store.

http://shop.macgregorowners.com/bk/detail-bk.htm

 

[Sumner]

Do you like to have the pop-top all the way up? If so I think they can interfer with that.

I really like....

...the topping lift as you can do so much with it, like pulling the boom way up out of the way at anchor.

Ruth made us an .....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-canvas/canvas-5.html

....anchor sail, so I'm changing the single topping lift....

...block to a double so one line can run to the boom still and the other line can be an uphaul for the anchor sail on the backstay.

The topping lift is a very easy.....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/rigging-3.html

....mod,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

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[Justin_NSA]

Search the archive. If you use one you can't raise your poptop. I've known people who tried them but they didn't keep them long. Lots of used ones out there

 

[Defrich]

I have a boom kicker on my 26M and I find it highly usefull.
There is an adjustment pin , on a track attached to the boom , which allows you to adjust the lift of the kicker ( three positions ).
I don't know the height needed to clear the poptop when it is fully up , but Mine gets out of the way well enough on the highest setting ( and I use the middle setting for regular sailing ).

Blue Skies....Richard

 

[timebandit]

I did not know the M had a pop top.

I have a boom kicker on my 26M and I find it highly usefull.
There is an adjustment pin , on a track attached to the boom , which allows you to adjust the lift of the kicker ( three positions ).
I don't know the height needed to clear the poptop when it is fully up , but Mine gets out of the way well enough on the highest setting ( and I use the middle setting for regular sailing ).

Blue Skies....Richard

 

[Robspan]

Defrich, I think you misunderstood how the boomkicker, or a vang for that matter, interferes with the poptop. When it's up, the poptop attaches directly to the mast; it's flat against the mast. The boomkicker is attached at the base of the mast to a point on the underside of the boom a few feet out from the mast. That means that the boomkicker and the poptop occupy the same space. So if you want to put the poptop up, you have to remove the boomkicker.

Someone on this forum - I think it's Walt - figured out a way to raise the poptop on the 26C only halfway. I'm subject to correction on this, but I think he said that in that position, he could use a vang. That seems to me to be the only way that both a vang/boomkicker and the poptop can coexist.

Timebandit's right. The 26M doesn't have a poptop.

 

[walt]

There was a thread this spring with a bunch of pictures etc on using a boom kicker on a 26S with the pop top up 1/2 way. See if you can find this by searching. The attached picture doesn't show the details (which are on the thread mentioned) but in the picture, the pop top is 1/2 way up and both a boom kicker and vang are in place. This is how the boat was setup for 5 days on our recent trip - except for one evening when I put the pop top down because of high winds. I like this setup because the boat is always ready to sail - just raise the sails - dont have to mess with either the vang or the boom kicker.

The boom kicker has the same exact issue with interference as a boom vang does on this boat. If you dont use a vang, the boom kicker adds extra hassle. But if you do always use a vang (I like having a vang, it is always installed), the boom kicker really adds no hassle.

I use it to keep the boom up when reefing. The only reason I have it is that I don't want to deal with two lines off the top of the mast when I'm setting up the mast as I have enough trouble with tangles on just the single backstay. This was more important to me the first year I owned this boat when I probably set the mast up over 20 times. Seems after four years of owning this boat, Im setting up the mast less now so the tangle issue is also becoming less important.

I think its another one of those "preference calls", between a boom kicker and a topping lift. I'm happy with my setup - but I think I would also be happy with a topping lift.. I do think you need to have one or the other for reefing the main. Even with the boom kicker, I still have a "pig tail" off the back stay for holding up the boom when the sail is in the bag - as mentioned, I only use the boom kicker for reefing the main.

 

[Robspan]

Walt,
I may be getting off the topic here, but it seems to me that if the Boomkicker could not only hold the boom up, but also serve as a vang, it would have much wider appeal. Since you own one, can you see any reason why the Boomkicker couldn't handle both functions if a block and tackle were integrated iinto it?

 

[walt]

Why not..

Sort of sounds like a rigid boom vang? http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=40

I sort of looked at these when I was dealing with this issue but seemed that a rigid boom vang could put some big stress on the boom - something to always consider since these are lightly built boats and given the wild things which seem to happen on a regular basis if you sail. Never seen one in person so dont know..