I just didn't believe my eyes!

F

farrison77539

.
Jan 29, 2002
31
I was in a really bad storm that kicked up in about two minutes and
just as I started to get my sails down my boom snapped to two! I just
never thought that could happen! The storm didn't even last more than
a few minutes but it sure took its toll on my boat! Any thoughts on
what I did that allowed that to happen? and just where do I find a
new boom anyway?
You can probably tell this is my first boat but she is in really good
condition so I am truly suprised...do you think it was a weak spot in
the boom?
Carol
Southern Comfort Too
 
T

tlochhaas

.
Oct 30, 2019
109
Carol, I can't guess what made your boom break, but the previous owner
of my Vega also broke the boom--his happened during an uncontrolled gibe
in a very heavy wind. His break was fairly clean, and he took the boom
to a machine shop to have it repaired. The bent ends were straightened
out (and a bit sawed off, I think, to make straight ends that fit
together flush), and a very heavy insert piece of metal was shaped that
fitted inside like a splint, extending quite a ways into both broken
pieces and screwed into place. The result is noticeable only if you look
for it, and he said the machinist who did it calculated that the broken
area was now stronger than the original. I was skeptical at first when I
bought the boat, but after three years, including some rather nasty
gibes myself, it's held up very well. I have no idea what he paid for
this fix, but presumably it was cheaper and easier than purchasing a new
boom. The seller himself is an engineer and very knowledgeable about
sailboats, so I have developed some trust in this fix. So you may want
to check with some local riggers before you decide you have to buy a new
boom. Good luck!
Tom

farrison77539 wrote:
 
F

farrison77539

.
Jan 29, 2002
31
Thanks for the insight...Good to know that it has happened to someone
else. We are going to look into having it fixed
Carol
 
P

pelagicasd

.
Jan 28, 2001
694
Hi Carol. Bummer about the boom. Where did it break? Were you using the vang
as an attachment for a preventer? Lyric's vang attached to a slot on the
bottom of the boom. (The vang could be easily detached to use the roller
crank to reef the main by rotating the boom.) It was a weak point in the
system as the vang pulled out of the boom due to a failure. I put a bail on
to replace it (Large stainless steel U with eyes on the ends of the
uprights.) Drilled a hole through the boom and through bolted the bail to
it. Look at the other boats in your marina and you will see this as a common
way of attaching things to the boom. Anyway to make a long story short I had
rigged a preventer between the bail and what serves as a chainplate on
Vegas. Like you I got caught in a squall and when the boat gybed the boom
snapped where I had attached the bail. I had a new boom built by Bay Riggers
in Sausalito, California. I WOULD NOT recomend this company. The rigger who
built the boom broke some taps off in the aluminum plate for the gooseneck.
He then shortened the screws holding it in place too hide the defect. I
found out about it a year later when I tried to take it apart for painting.
They also used red Loctite to hold the screws in. Made getting them out very
difficult.
The company was most unreasonable when it came to correcting the defect.
Caveat Emptor. Walt, Lyric S/V 120
 
F

farrison77539

.
Jan 29, 2002
31
Walt/Judy -The boom broke at the traveler. I have noticed that many
of the pictures of Vegas that I have seen don't seem to have them.
Ours is place over the hatch and almost in the center of the boom.
We are still really new at this and I honestly don't remember what we
have as far as the vang. (I only recently even learned what one
was!) We didn't get the chance to even think about reefing, we just
wanted to get it down. We weren't very far out of port and we were
heading in anyway. I appreciate the information about where you had
your new boom build and we will stay away from them. I figuare we
can get something local.
We are checking lots of things on the mask as well since this
happened and are looking at it as a "learning experience". Sure
scared the dailights out of me though...I guess it wasn't as bad as
it could have been but it was the worest I've had so far! We are
learning, so long as we don't do too much damage in the meantime we
will get good at this!

Carol
-- In AlbinVega@y..., "walt/judy brown/allore" bestvega@h... wrote:
 
S

stevebirch2002

.
Nov 8, 2001
1,818
The slab reefing can be added to the standard boom quite easily. Just need a
track on the side of the boom (aft) with two or three blocks (depending if you
want two or three reefs). Two or three reefing cringles in the luff and leech
of the mainsail and a ramshorn at the gooseneck (forward end) of the boom. The
lines are fed from the bottom of the block , under the boom , through the
cringle, back down to the block, around the block and then forward towards the
forward end of the boom where it can be made off. The front of the sail can
then be hooked over the ramshorn and everything tightened. Sounds complicated
but once you have done it a few tomes it is very easy and certainly gives
you a
better sail shape and you can still use a kicking strap which will gretaly
enhance your upwind sailing.

Steve Birch Vega "Southern Comfort" V1703At 15:16 06/08/02 -0800, you wrote:
 
T

towlerg

.
Mar 27, 2001
121
Hi Carol,

I guess you have discovered why moving the mainsheet attachment to
the middle of the boom may not be the best idea. Before you buy
another boom (you're not realy even thinking about trying to repair
the old one, are you!) I'd think about putting it back.

A couple of questions -

Did you damage the mainsail when the boom went?

Do you still have roller reefing on the main (if so, this might be a
good time to investigate switching to slab)?

Happy sailing

George Towler "Vista" 1043
 
W

wxt8981

.
Oct 31, 2019
562
Hi Dave:
Slab reef and/or roller reef are just two ways of reefing- some like
one, some the other. And about the
wrinkles? Geee.. I never thought that was an issue.
Wilhelm V-257 VIKING
 
L

lastgaspid

.
Oct 30, 2019
77
George Towler ,Vista,V1043

Can you slab reef a main if you choose to even if you have a roller reefing main boom? It seems to me that you can if you don't crank the roller.Am I right? I'm thinking about replacing the mainsail and want to stay away from all the wrinkles.

Dave
The lastgasp
V3233
 
T

towlerg

.
Mar 27, 2001
121
Hi Dave,

yes I guess you could but the reefing penants would be external (to
the boom) and you would have to fix (pop rivit??) several fittings to
the round boom.

George Towler "Vista" 1043
 
H

hielke007

.
Dec 31, 2003
86
Adding my 2 cts worth: since you need a fixture "on the other side of the
boom" for the reefing lines too (I like to pull them straight down, opposing
leeding them aft)you could also bolt them through the boom, using long
stainless steel bolts. I\'m not a big fan of pop-rivets... BTW various marine
hardware catalogs carry the track + blocks as a standard item. I will
upgrade my mainsail this winter and have purchased a second hand vega boom
already.
Hielke V1033 Drivfjäder
 
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