pros and cons of mainsheet attachment

[Dave Hussey]

I found a boom from a Dana 24 to replace my broken original equipment E27 boom. The mainsheet attachment point on the Dana is at the end of boom, whereas, the E27 is mid boom. Which is better:::::A.) drilling mid boom holes and installing stainless steel bail hoops like the E27 originally had, (this is probably the cheapest route) or B.) having the local rigger install internally to the boom, attachment points for the three blocks, which would necessitate cutting three small slots in the bottom of the boom and dropping flanges through. (I think this might be costly but cooler looking.)

My dilemma is, what is best from the engineering standpoint? Is A better (or worse) than B ?

Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Seth]

mainsheet attachments

I would keep it simple and go with the bales bolted through the boom. This is very strong, and the bales give you a nice attachment point if you ever want to run a vang/preventer out to the rail.

Whatever you do, remember to create an attachment point for a proper boom vang-preferably a solid one. Huge gains in sail and boat control, as well as easing some of the loading on the mainsaheet blocks.

Fair winds!
S

 

[Dave Hussey]

boom on E27

Thanks Seth. I think that is the direction I'm leaning in. The only thing troubling me is that the wall thickness is only .095 inch, compared to .130 on the original boom.
Dave Hussey

 

[Seth]

booms

That is a bit of a concern. Frankly I don't have the engineering ability to say if this is a critical difference. One thing you COULD do is fit a doubler riveted around the boom in the area you would put the bales. This would likely do the job, but while I would be happier if you found a fatter boom section, 095 may actually fine. Sorry, but I can't say with enough certainty to give a firm endorsement.
Good hunting!