I wonder if the tang at position C has a mate on the other side of the boom, and sometime in the past the boat had double preventers rigged?It seems to me that "C" is a fitting designed to hold a block.
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I wonder if the tang at position C has a mate on the other side of the boom, and sometime in the past the boat had double preventers rigged?It seems to me that "C" is a fitting designed to hold a block.
Then what is it for?
I wonder if the tang at position C has a mate on the other side of the boom, and sometime in the past the boat had double preventers rigged?
That might stand to reason, but the boat was never cruised. It has lived it's entire life on a 3,000 alpine lake. And the PO was not a particularly fastidious sailor. I can't imagine that a preventer ever occurred to him.I wonder if the tang at position C has a mate on the other side of the boom, and sometime in the past the boat had double preventers rigged?
There already is an internal outhaul with a shackle on the clew. That's part of the mystery. Why would the line enter the starboard side of the boom in such an orientation and exit below the boom, as if to lead to the step of the mast and back to the cockpit?So maybe check you mainsail for any attached gear or line on the clew. I have seen very simple ways of attaching the clew to a shackle located at the end of the boom like you have. Maybe the PO didn't adjust the outhaul much and just tied it at a fixed tension when he sailed.
Thought #2: If there is a tang on the other side, it's for the other temporary stay used when the boom was used as a 'gin pole' to lower the mast forward for trailering. If the mast base was set up as a tabernacle, that is.That might stand to reason, but the boat was never cruised. It has lived it's entire life on a 3,000 alpine lake. And the PO was not a particularly fastidious sailor. I can't imagine that a preventer ever occurred to him.
Brilliant!Thought #2: If there is a tang on the other side, it's for the other temporary stay used when the boom was used as a 'gin pole' to lower the mast forward for trailering. If the mast base was set up as a tabernacle, that is.
Does anyone use an internal purchase for reefing?
Ding, Ding, Ding.Thought #2: If there is a tang on the other side, it's for the other temporary stay used when the boom was used as a 'gin pole' to lower the mast forward for trailering. If the mast base was set up as a tabernacle, that is.
Cam cleat for an adjustable topping lift?Now about "B"... which you can only adjust close-hauled, is for small diameter line, and the line tail would dangle?
We should be able to figure this out. Maybe. Or maybe not....
View attachment 43593
I've never been able to get this quite right, but I've just had the Eureka! moment with this explanation. I'm going to finally fix it tonight. But with winds less than ten, don't think I'll need it.The sheave at "A" is a halyard sheave box. It only works to pull a line one way--towards the gooseneck. So it won;t work for slab reefing.
To install external slab reefing, you need a cheek block there, to handle downward pull of the reef line. You can install a cleat for it on the side of the boom, near the gooseneck, or run it back to a cockpit winch. A winch is better, because it's hard to flatten a luffing sail without a purchase.
To secure the reef line to the boom (after it goes through the leech cringle), any eye strap would work as a tie-off. Ericson equipped boats with a dual purpose cheek block and tie-off, similar to this. (The ring to tie off the reef line to the boom is actually mounted upsidedown in this picture, because the line is supposed to wrap under the boom). The track is only there so the position of the cheek blocks can be adjusted for No. 1 and No. 2 reefs, which require different block placement. But all that complication not needed by boats with internal reef lines and a loose-footed main, since you can just tie a bowline around the boom for the same effect.
In Nacho's Pic No. 1 he has such a sliding cheek block on a boom similar to yours--and a cleat for it at the gooseneck end.
View attachment 43581
It's nice to have a horn, or permanent reef tack downhaul, but temporarily you could just tie the first reef tack around the gooseneck--anything to secure it before you re-tension the luff.
Your boom seems newly painted (or new?), no scratches at all. Maybe the former owner could speak to the puzzle of the hardware as installed.
I moved my topping lift aft to the boom end as well, where it terminates on a horn cleat. My topping lift gets the most use during raising/lowering the main, so the boom is mostly centered then, and the cleat accessible. To me, it beats having to make a trip up to the mast.....a topping lift should be adjustable while sailing, and at the end of the boom the line would be out if reach except to windward, and the tail would be a coil hanging. Better to run an adjustable topping lift forward to a cleat on the mast end of the boom.
My topping lift gets the most use during raising/lowering the main