Boom Refurbish

[Loren Beach]

Our leech tape has chafed through in a spot and I think it’s from interference by the topping lift, but if I loosen it enough to clear freely my boom lands on my bimini when I drop the main. So it’s a daily thing for me. Right now we have zero purchase and need to push the boom end up manually to get any lift.

When we acquired our O-34, in the 90's, it had a factory rod vang with a gas cylinder return. The gas piston has lost some pressure so I replaced it with a spring return (adjustable) rod vang.

If I had realized how useful the rod vang was I would have replaced the topping lift line on our prior boat! It was often getting caught on a batten pocket.
(Evidently the rod vang was optional on the 80's Ericson's, as I do no see many with one.)

 

[Prairie Schooner]

When we acquired our O-34, in the 90's, it had a factory rod vang with a gas cylinder return. The gas piston has lost some pressure so I replaced it with a spring return (adjustable) rod vang.

If I had realized how useful the rod vang was I would have replaced the topping lift line on our prior boat! It was often getting caught on a batten pocket.
(Evidently the rod vang was optional on the 80's Ericson's, as I do no see many with one.)

Great advice, Loren. I forgot about these, even though all the boats I've raced on have them. They're more expensive than a clutch and some blocks. But the other 'cost' of leading aft is all the clutter on the coach roof and cockpit. I keep seeing these at consignment stores and will eventually pick one up. I'll need to make sure it doesn't interfere with the saloon hatch.

 

[Christian Williams]

Yes, typo--sorry, should say tack downhauls. I fixed it in Post #18.

 

[Slick470]

When we acquired our O-34, in the 90's, it had a factory rod vang with a gas cylinder return. The gas piston has lost some pressure so I replaced it with a spring return (adjustable) rod vang.

If I had realized how useful the rod vang was I would have replaced the topping lift line on our prior boat! It was often getting caught on a batten pocket.
(Evidently the rod vang was optional on the 80's Ericson's, as I do no see many with one.)

Loren, I think the rod vang was standard on the Olson line. The original with the gas cylinders is rebuildable using relatively off the shelf parts. I came across this blog post a few years ago and saved it for future use: http://svjeorgia.blogspot.com/2013/01/rebuilding-sparcraft-boom-vang.html

Closer to the subject of a boom thread, its finally time to re-do the outhaul on our boom. I did a general cleanup 8 years or so ago where I had a crack in the vang tang repaired and un-twisted and upgraded a few in-boom lines, but I left the wire portion of the outhaul in place. The wire is starting to grow a few fishhooks so its time to replace it with dyneema.

 

[Loren Beach]

Regarding the position of the vent hatch, to better accommodate a rod vang....
We reversed ours when I replaced it many years ago (in lieu of replacing both the hinges and the lens). Others here have reversed theirs: https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/ubs/reversing-the-main-hatch.132/

Our stock hatch opening did accommodate our rod vang, but I wanted to cut down on "inhaled spray" when wind was ahead of the beam.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Regarding the position of the vent hatch, to better accommodate a rod vang....
We reversed ours when I replaced it many years ago (in lieu of replacing both the hinges and the lens). Others here have reversed theirs: https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/ubs/reversing-the-main-hatch.132/

Our stock hatch opening did accommodate our rod vang, but I wanted to cut down on "inhaled spray" when wind was ahead of the beam.

Thanks Loren. Rebuilding and rebedding the hatches is on this winter's list. I'll give some thought to this.

 

[bsangs]

Was deflated to discover on this thread that there is no possible way to mouse a line to replace the outhaul. Makes sense, with it being connected to wire in the boom, but was holding out hope anyway. Successfully replaced so many lines and halyards by mousing last week, and now this old nasty outhaul line is a blight on the neighborhood, even after given a good soaking to "clean" it up. Oh well, it'll have to wait until the offseason.

 

[Christian Williams]

It's a two-hour job. I just detach gooseneck and let the boom (and furled sail) hang in place supported by main halyard at balance point. Useful is a helper and a a $10 fish tape.

Outhaul diagram / drawing

Has anyone disassemble their outhaul and have came up with a diagram of how the purchases are set up? Mine has never worked freely, especially when winds are calm and I need to release the foot of the sail. I either need to install an exterior outhaul that works better or remove the one inside...

ericsonyachts.org

 

[Prairie Schooner]

It's a two-hour job. I just detach gooseneck and let the boom (and furled sail) hang in place supported by main halyard at balance point. Useful is a helper and a a $10 fish tape.

Outhaul diagram / drawing

Has anyone disassemble their outhaul and have came up with a diagram of how the purchases are set up? Mine has never worked freely, especially when winds are calm and I need to release the foot of the sail. I either need to install an exterior outhaul that works better or remove the one inside...

ericsonyachts.org

+1 . . Everything Christian said. Except maybe 3-4 hours for me, plus ordering spring ring, getting blocks, repainting casting, taking and editing pictures, writing posts, shilly-shallying.
@bsangs It wasn't as difficult as I feared. I had kind of a mental block to understanding it. I still don't have a fish tape, but taped some coat hanger wire to the end of a 1"x1" strip of pine long enough to go through the boom.

 

[bsangs]

+1 . . Everything Christian said. Except maybe 3-4 hours for me, plus ordering spring ring, getting blocks, repainting casting, taking and editing pictures, writing posts, shilly-shallying.
@bsangs It wasn't as difficult as I feared. I had kind of a mental block to understanding it. I still don't have a fish tape, but taped some coat hanger wire to the end of a 1"x1" strip of pine long enough to go through the boom.

OK, good to know, thanks guys. Still gonna have to wait until the offseason though. She’s fully decked out with all my winter/spring work and upgrades, and ready to sail this weekend. Non-essential work time is over!

 

[RCsailfast]

Ken's excellent diagrams above guided me here. These are the bits for the outhaul and topping lift that went back in. I replaced the two outhaul blocks with better kit from a consignment store. The two reef lines (gray and blue) were led above these, aft to sheaves at the boom end.
View attachment 45136
View attachment 45137

Even though the clew reef lines are lead down to clutches aft, I reinstalled the clutch arms. It gives us another option if we need to use the cabin top clutches for something else. And I won't lose them. Being aluminum, they were given a coating of corrosion inhibitor. We don't have single line reefing, or separate aft-lead gear for the tack end. For now I'm comfortable going forward to secure the cringle to a hook.
I need to order c-clips for the original pin to the outhaul sheave (yellow line). The old clips broke and I thought I could get by with a clevis pin, but the clutch handles hug the casting rather close.
View attachment 45135

Perhaps next year I'll strip the boom tube down and repaint it. Also, I opted not to replace the casting sheaves at this time. Both OH and TL worked well enough before I replaced the outhaul blocks and lubed everything. If needed, the OH sheave will be easy enough to switch out with the boom in place.

In the past I’ve replaced the horizontal bolt and added shims on the boom end of the gooseneck fitting which took care of a lot of twisting movement of the boom. I will be modifying a new vertical pin where it attaches to the mast and have fabricated some brass spacers to fill the gap between the block and the frame on the mast. Will probably get oil impregnated bronze washers so as not to get brass shavings all over the deck. Is filling the gap a wise choice or should I leave the 1/4“ gap for shock movement? i just hate seeing and hearing it pop up and down in light wind and bumpy seas.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

In the past I’ve replaced the horizontal bolt and added shims on the boom end of the gooseneck fitting which took care of a lot of twisting movement of the boom. I will be modifying a new vertical pin where it attaches to the mast and have fabricated some brass spacers to fill the gap between the block and the frame on the mast. Will probably get oil impregnated bronze washers so as not to get brass shavings all over the deck. Is filling the gap a wise choice or should I leave the 1/4“ gap for shock movement? i just hate seeing and hearing it pop up and down in light wind and bumpy seas.

Randy,
My intuition* is that a gap which allows pivoting or twisting makes the parts wear out even faster. Like you, I'd be inclined to add some washers or something. Personally, I'd be reluctant to add another metal like brass to the mix, though. There's already quite a bit of galvanic corrosion with just stainless and aluminum. McMaster Carr has a pretty good selection of plastic washers. I just ordered some for another boat project.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

*guessing which is informed by a bare modicum of experience and very little science

 

[G Kiba]

Taking out that extra space on the gooseneck pin is one of those satisfying things! At least until it starts to clunk again. I have tried plastic and metal washers and found the best solution on my boat has been by using Bellevillle washers. These washers are can be stacked to get different heights and spring force. You can get them in stainless from McMaster. https://www.mcmaster.com/products/spring-washers/corrosion-resistant-belleville-disc-springs/

 

[bigd14]

I have tried plastic and metal washers and found the best solution on my boat has been by using Bellevillle washers.

Well darn, I just completed this job yesterday with standard washers. Wish I had known of these Belleville washers a few days earlier! Clever solution.

 

[Christian Williams]

Fender washers under the pin.