Installing a boom bail

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Louis

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Nov 21, 2007
56
Hunter H23 Verplanck, NY Hudson River
Thanks for all the advice.

Based upon your opinions, I will first try a through bolt as that seems the strongest method of attachment. If the interior lines (outhaul, reefing line and topping lift lines are in the way, of the bolt, I will then go with plan 2 which is to use SS pop rivets. I will keep you appraised of progress.
 
Oct 22, 2008
3,502
- Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
Good luck... :) If you through-bolt, don't forget the compression sleeve.

In either case, use plastic isolation washers and TefGel/LanoCote between the stainless steel boom bail and the boom. It will help prevent galvanic corrosion from setting in and weakening the boom.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
On the boom, seems you could just put an eye strap on the bottom of the boom if you just want to shackle a block to it? That's what my B-32 has. With a bail, if you use lock nuts, you really shouldn't have to tighten them down that tight since you do want the bail to pivot some. Put nylon washers between the bail and boom. While you're at it, think about putting a bail at the aft end of the boom. Comes in handy for hauling someone out of the water, lifting a dingy or hanging in the water from a bosun's chair. A compression sleeve is a good idea, but at the cost of a larger hole in the mast. It may be some work, but maybe you can manage a sleeve installed from one end of the end of the mast. That way, you'd only need a hole the size of the bolt.

On the pole eye, someone "in the industry" said to mount it on the front of the mast, at the gooseneck height. That way, they counteract each other. Personnaly, I like the suggestion to mount it at the clew height of your most-likely used sail. Remember, that as the sail fills and lifts, the clew will rise also. At the dock you might attach the spin pole to the clew, extend it if adjustable, make it horizontal then mark the mast at that point.... I placed a second eye 10 feet up the mast to hold the upper end of the pole. With one of those rubber mast pole brackets in between the eyes, you attach the upper end to the eye, "pop" the pole into the rubber piece, then attach the lower end of the pole to the lower pole eye. No rattle!
 
Oct 22, 2008
3,502
- Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
Ron-

The problem with using an eyestrap attached to the bottom of the boom is that the forces of the eyestrap are applied against the screws holding it in, which usually have a fairly small amount of actual threaded area to support that load. A boom bail will be mounted on the boom and the forces will be in shear, across the bolt that passes through the boom, which is going to be much stronger, especially if the bolt is snugged up and uses a compression post inside the spar.

Most of the time an eyestrap or padeye is used under the boom it is one that is mounted in a track and the screws are merely used to hold the eyestrap in a specific position, rather than supporting the loads placed on the eyestrap. The track itself and the base of the eyestrap, which is fairly snugly fitted into it, bears most of the load.
 
Jun 8, 2004
853
Pearson 26W Marblehead
thru bolting is definitely the best way to go/ I like sailing dogs suggestion of using a compression bolt. In any case the walls of most booms are pretty thin and when you thru bolt be extra careful not to snug the bolt up to much. Its ok if the bail moves a round a bit
its not going any where. Just make sure you dont tighten thru the thin boom skin.
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,277
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Don't install bails for a vang ...

I am looking to install a bail on my boom and mast for a boom vang. I have a Hunter h23. There are many threads on where to place the bails, but no information on how to actually fasten them. What is the preferred method of attaching it to the boom and mast? Rivets? Screw & bolt sound like they would better, but how does one reach into the boom or mast to attach the bolt? How about tapping a screw thread into the boom and mast? I believe they are made of aluminum - would the metal be strong enough? Advice greatly appreciated!
I've never seen bails installed for this purpose. In particular, I would never install a bail on my mast ... nothing could look more stupid.

A vang installation is done by attaching a saddle to both the boom and the mast. The flanges should be secured with stainless steel rivits. They will need to be a size where you can't use a regular pop riviter for aluminum rivits so getting the tool to do the job may be a problem.

Rig rite will have the proper saddle attachments for your boom and mast. This picture gives a peak at the attachement on the boom. Mount the vang so it is as near to 45 degress that you can get, but if necessary make the leg on the boom the longer leg.
 

Attachments

Jun 5, 2004
209
- - Eugene, OR
Pop rivets

Louis, I put the boom vang on my h23 using pop rivets more than 15 years ago. I don't recall if I used aluminum or stainless steel. The attachment is still in excellent shape and I do not see why I should not expect many more years of service from it. Keep in mind as you read the postings here that smaller boats like the h23 don't have to carry as high a load on their components as larger boats. Certainly on the bigger boats that higher loading must be recognized and dealt with.
I suspect that there is not a great deal of difference between the holding power of the pop rivets and that of through-bolting in this usage, asssuming proper installation, since the load is applied to the boom in sheer, therefore on the thickness of the boom wall along the wall rather than through it. Maybe those of you with engineering training can comment on this.
Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo
 
Oct 22, 2008
3,502
- Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
If you're going to use pop rivets, I would highly recommend using stainless steel ones, since they're far stronger than aluminum ones. Also, highly recommend coating them with LanoCote or TefGel to help reduce any possible galvanic interaction between them and the aluminum spar.
 
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