Boom Connection

[Joseph]

We just bought a Catalina 22 after sailing a MacGregor for years. While preparing to trailer the boat home from the previous owners' house, I guess I forgot to pay close attention to what I was doing, or rather undoing. The sail attaches using mast slides and the boom attaches by sliding into the mast slot as well. My problem is this, I can not remember if the boom attaches above or below the sail stop. I have tried it both ways, and am not sure which seems right! Can anyone help?

 

[Rick Rose]

Boom placement on the mast

I fooled around with mine quite a bit--it seemed as though the boom always wanted to sit right where the attachment slot is located, which is obviously no good. The question was, above or below?I wound up locating it below the slot. I bought one of those $8 locking slide gadgets from West Marine, and that holds the sail slides up above the attachment slot; saved a lot of headaches. The boom is held below the slot with a line running down to a cleat that locks in the slide. Hope that helps.

 

[Guest]

Thanks!

Thanks for the help Rick. That is how I have it set up now. But it looks a little strange when the mainsail is lowered to have the weight of the boom and sail resting on the last sail slide. Is that the way your's looks?

 

[Rick Rose]

Boom support

Nope, when the sail is lowered, my boom sits on the cleat that rides in the sail track. I intend to purchase ANOTHER one of those locking slide gadgets to install under the mast, supporting it that way, but at least for the time being, the sail isn't holding up the boom.The next item on my agenda is a topping lift. Right now, I just tie the boom end to the backstay after the sails are lowered, but that creates quite a mess in the in-between state. Also tends to annoy the admiral, since she steers when I'm handling sail.

 

[Joseph, Catallina 22]

Boom Support

Thanks. High on my "to buy" list is another of those locks to place under the boom. I think I might need to/want to look into to raising the cleat for the time being. As it is, it is too low to suppor the boom and it seems that all of the weight is held by the bottom sail slide. I never have like the way that looked though. Thanks for your input.