Raise the boom

[Geoff K]

I've wondered about raising my boom about 6-8 inches. There's no absolute reason I need to but a few "relative" reasons. The boat is a Pearson 323.

1) I hope to get a dodger someday. The boat came with one but it was falling apart. It was very low and difficult to ascend/descend the companion way because of it. A higher boom would allow a higher dodger.

2) The boom extends several feet into the cockpit and is low enough to make going from side to side difficult. If centered it is a head knocker coming out of the companion way. I move it to the side, but then going on deck from the port side is difficult. Perhaps a higher boom would help?

3) The vang is at a very acute angle to the boom. Raising the boom would increase the angle. Does the angle of the vang make much difference?

If I raise the boom, is the only other task to take the sail to a sailmaker and shorten it? Are there hidden problems? I'm not interested in performance.

Thanks

Geoff

 

[seadaddler]

How about

How about the goose neck is mounted to the mast,6'' to 8'' should not make a big difference and you should raise that too if you can and recut the sail,all and all if you don't mind loosing minor sail coverage it should be OK.
I would talk to the sail man before doing anything and see what he may suggest.
Nick

 

[Brian M H23]

First question - do you have extra room to hoist the main?
Second question - What benefit would you get from changing the angle of the boom, but not moving the gooseneck? This is very easy to do - just run your outhaul to the first reef point (tension it varying amounts to get an idea).
Third question - what is your vang angle? (measured from the mast)

 

[Geoff K]

No extra room to hoist the main.

I meant raise the gooseneck so the horizontal line of the boom is elevated 6-8". Sorry for being unclear. But, as you mention it perhaps just cutting the sail to an angle that raises the aft end is all I need?

I have not measured the vang angle, but the distance to vang attachment mast to boom is about twice the distance mast to gooseneck. Thus I guess the mast/vang angle to be about 30 degrees and the boom/vang angle about 60 degrees.

Thanks

Geoff

 

[Don Guillette]

Geoff: I would do two things. First, I would follow seadaddler advise and check with a sail maker in your area especially one who is familiar with a Pearson. Secondly, I'd go to the Pearson boat section on this site and see if other owners have a similiar problem. Your boat can't be unique.

This is totally off the wall but do you have the correct mainsail for your boat?

If you do move the goodeneck it is not a big deal to move the rigid vang mast plate. I think it is only 4 bolts compared to 6 on the boom plate. Of the two plates, the boom plate is more difficult to mess with.

 

[Geoff K]

I don't know how close my mainsail is to the original. The PO got a new one about a year before I bought the boat. He said he put only one reef point in because if the wind is enough to require a second reef he's going in under engine anyway. He said nothing more nor did I think to ask any more. I assume the sail is, other than the single reef, the same measurements as the original. Why does it matter?

Regarding the vang mast plate, I had thought of leaving it where it is and moving the boom vang plate. That would give me a more advantageous angle for the boom.

When I get close to doing something, probably next season's haulout, I'll talk to a sail maker. I'll check with the Pearson forum also.

Geoff

 

[RichH]

Geoff-
You might just possibly have a SAIL problem instead of a 'too low' boom problem .... PLUS simply, most folks simply dont know how to properly RAISE a dacron mainsail !!!!!!!!

The Pearson 323 mainsail has a luff of 36 ft. To raise such a woven dacron mainsail that has a 'boltrope" (3 strand rope inside a 'sleeve' along the luff) is to 'raise' the sail THEN add an extra 3.5 INCHES of ADDITIONAL halyard strain. This will 'automatically' raise the aft section of the boom; the additional halyard strain will also 'lift' the leech.

For most woven dacron mainsails with a BOLTROPE one must add 1 inch of ADDITIONAL 'stretch' for every 11 FEET of luff length .... if you dont do this the sail WILL NEVER take its DESIGNED SHAPE, and the boom will 'droop' into the cockpit.

If the sail hasnt changed its luff dimension due to an aging/shrinking boltrope .... the angle that the sail makes between the MAST and the TOPSIDE of boom will be 89-90 degrees --- just use a large absolutely SQUARE piece of cardboard in the 'gooseneck corner' to see if this angle is 'close'. If the boltrope has shrunken with age/use, then the aft end of the boom will be NOTICEABLY lower than the tack at the gooseneck connection .... and the boom will have the appearance of being VERY LOW to the cockpit!!!!

A sailmaker can (at cost) 'ease' or readjust a shrunken boltrope back to its proper dimension ..... but on a very old sail, its probably better to replace it.

Summary: Next time out, raise the main, then ADD 3-4 inches of additional STRAIN to the halyard (and notice the boom rise !!!!), if the angle that the 'top side of the boom' makes with the mast is noticeably GREATER than 90 degrees - get the boltrope 'eased'/readjusted, etc.

 

[Geoff K]

Rich, thanks for your input. I think the angle is about 90 degrees but will check next time up. (2 weeks from now) The sail is new, has been used 2 light seasons. It's very stiff and has not yet learned to fold/flake easily. (Why flake? Have started another thread on this question.)When raising, I tighten the halyard about as much as I can. I've not been trimming the luff tension.I had some help from Don last year and have his book, but haven't yet been using the finer points of sail trim. That's on my agenda for this summer.

I had learned years ago the bolt rope was the rope I feed into the slot on small boats or on jibs cut for roller furlers. From your discussion I assume all sails have a bolt rope in the luff?

The boom when horizontal is lower than I'd like. I suppose there's no reason I have to leave the boom horizontal when not sailing but I'd like more room for a dodger. The dodger is a year or more away; there's a long list of expensive items on our wish list.

Geoff

 

[RichH]

On sails that feed into a foil used with a 'furler' the luff is usually constructed with a 'continuous support tape' - quite "thin" braided line, usually two thin lines, that are carefully sewn in between a 'tape sandwich' with one of line portions fitting into the groove of the furler foil. In contrast, the boltrope on most mainsails of this size is usually 5/16-3/8" dia. 3 strand dacron rope that is sewn into a 'sleeve' of dacron tape material. Sails made with Continuous support tape should be 'just raised'; those with boltropes should be 'stretched out' with **additional** halyard strain.

Continuous support tape: http://www.sailrite.com/Continuous-Support-Tape-8

 

[jporcelli]

Geoff - I have a pearson 323 and was considering the same modification as well.
Like others said, if you have room to raise your sail it should not change anything.
I believe my luff is only about 35ft, and I will double check it this winter when I pull the sails, and then most likely raise it.

The boom is just a little too low for my head (i am 6'1")while sailing, it would fell better to know it it less likely to knock me out if i am not paying attention.



Best
JVP

 

[Geoff K]

JVP, Thanks for the info. I thought my luff is 37' but have not measured or looked it up in a long time. I dropped off the sails at a sailmaker today as we cleaned up the boat for winter haulout. He will change the slides in an attempt at correcting the difficult raising problem. When I look at the top with sail fully raised, it appears I can raise the sail another 6" or so. Perhaps I can get all I need that way. The option of shortening the main, though expensive, also would give me a loose footed main. The sailmaker thought that is the way to go.

I'm only 5'9", and perhaps a bit shorter now, but I have banged my head more times than I can remember. At dock we move the mast to port to get it out of the campanion way path. The real need for raising the sail is to allow a dodger to be a little higher.

Geoff