Spreader boots

[ZBM003]

I am getting ready to unstep my mast on my Ericson 38 200, run new electric wire, install as well as new lights and wind transducer. I’ll also be replacing my spreader boots and was wondering if anyone has the size handy.

I’m currently traveling and can’t get to the boat before I get home and take it out of the water. Would lien to place the order asap so they get to me in time. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[N.A.]

Don't have the boot spec, but FWIW:

I just had some of that work done, and in case any of this helps you:

* my rigger said the Signal Mate lights lasted better/slower corrosion in his experience replacing stuff. They do make a tricolor/anchor light/with strobe, but it is not well documented -- but it is there. I got mine from Farallon Electronics.

* Also, you don't mention a wind indicator (not the transducer, but the other one we all have, with the markers for upwind/downwind angle that you can glance up at), but they corrode like crazy (my rigger refers to them as "masthead zincs") and it's probably worth just replacing that while you're at it.

* There are racing regulations on the minimum length of a masthead antenna, so don't get a super-short / lightweight one, and also the VHF and AIS frequencies are slightly different, so it's worth getting an antenna tuned to the rough midpoint of those so it works close to optimally for both regular VHF and for the AIS transmissions. Some antenna specs discuss that they do that.

* Separate thread here somewhere, but the consensus here and from the guy that does some of my electrical work (and is very good) is that I should have used the larger dia / lower-loss coax (LMR 400, w/solid dielectric core). C'est la vie (for me), but if you're ordering, you might keep that in mind.

PS: Argument used for me was that the typical (40W?) VHF power is enough to reach the horizon from a small boat even with more loss... but if you're trying to reach a taller ship antenna, or a USCG shore station, the distance can be a LOT bigger, since it is the combined horizon of your boat and the other antenna, which is higher / greater. So less loss for both transmit and receive is actually worth it. Which is to say, LMR400.

 

[Loren Beach]

AFAIK the original vinyl Kenyon boots are decades gone, like Kenyon itself, although you could ask https://www.rigrite.com/ . They have a lot of miscellaneous parts, some new old stock and some new.
There are other brands on the market however.

 

[Marlin Prowell]

You might read this thread about using spreader boots.

 

[Nick J]

I just went through this last year. I originally wanted to replace the old leather boots with new ones, but the rigger recommended not using any boots. We made sure the spreader tips were in good shape and the mousing wire ends were tucked in to ensure there were no risk to the sail. It hasn't been a full year since the work, but I haven't had any issues and I'm happy with the solution. It makes inspections possible which is always a positive.

 

[bgary]

^^ this

Spreader boots aren't to protect the spreader tip, they're to protect the sail. As long as the shroud is propertly secured in the spreader tip and there are no sharpe edges or wire ends, there's no reason for a boot (and some good reasons not to put on a boot - e.g., trapping moisture)

 

[Christian Williams]

I wonder if I really need them. Mine are vinyl, out of reach, dirty, and can leave marks on the genoa.

I suppose they prevent chafe when a big genny is tacked, esp. if the technique is to let the sail backwind before release. But I don;t do it that way. And with Dacron cruising sails it's pretty hard to get the spreader to rub on the sail to windward, you'd have to trim it brutally to make up for stretch.

Downwind reefing does drag the mainsail over the spreaders, but I don;t do that when daysailing.

Leather makes cool boots, though, if secured with Spectra line. Otherwise the tradition is to always have one boot falling half off, with a bit of seizing flapping out of reach in the breeze, and the owner saying he has been getting around to fixing that for the last five years.

 

[Pete the Cat]

I wonder if I really need them. Mine are vinyl, out of reach, dirty, and can leave marks on the genoa.

I suppose they prevent chafe when a big genny is tacked, esp. if the technique is to let the sail backwind before release. But I don;t do it that way. And with Dacron cruising sails it's pretty hard to get the spreader to rub on the sail to windward, you'd have to trim it brutally to make up for stretch.

Downwind reefing does drag the mainsail over the spreaders, but I don;t do that when daysailing.

Leather makes cool boots, though, if secured with Spectra line. Otherwise the tradition is to always have one boot falling half off, with a bit of seizing flapping out of reach in the breeze, and the owner saying he has been getting around to fixing that for the last five years.

I have always had leather on my Tartan 37 for the last 25 years. They stay on because they come off annually for winter storage and get new sail thread. Over time they form to the spreader and wire and seem to last a long time. Mine are getting near the end of their life after 15 years. I think they protect my 125% sail because have had to replace the protective sail patches at the spread level every 5 or so years--I think it would be more if I did not have the protection. But we have to tack in Maine and folks in SoCal have it on the beam all the time.

 

[Christian Williams]

Took guests out yesterday for two hours. Tacked once, jibed twice.