tie the boom

I started windsurfing back when you still had to tie the boom on with rope. My board was a mistral competition light. I had the regatta sail that was basically a triangle, but brought me more fun than I could have ever imagined. I was hooked to the sport instantly. My fingers were nothing but blisters from uphauling but it didn't matter. :-) I remember going to a sailboard shop and an instructor there showed me how to tie a new knot under the boom when the boom was inline with the mast. It was definitely a much easier and tighter knot. Do any of you remember those days?

[Farlo]

Well I remember a similar trick but not sure it's exactly the same. Attach a rope below the boom's head, slightly longer than the mast diameter. When the sail is rigged on the mast, set the boom to max extension and slip it around the mast/sail tll the head is in place and the boom at ~45° up. Then make a loop around the mast, tie the rope to the head, move the clew down till the boom is at 90°, adjust extension and outhaul. This gives a very strong knot that will not slip along the mast.

[Ken]

Yep, that's one way we did it in the 80's and earlier. I started (bought a board) in late 83.

The problem with the tie on system you mention is that the rope length and knot had to be exactly right. Too long and you had a sloppy boom. Too short and you could crush the mast when pulling the boom down.

Clamp on booms were a blessing.

[Farlo]

Hi Ken, you beat me by a few years. Congratulations !!

First I had a cleat fixed to the boom head so I could adjust the rope easily, and then make an extra knot for safety. Later I replaced it by a slot to hold the knot, much faster and tighter with a rope of the right length. However I agree this was kind of bricolage compared to "modern" clamping systems that appeared in the early 90's.

documented it for newbies a while back :-)

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=c6db8...C!445&app=Word

jw

[Farlo]

Yes this is the simplest and most classical way of doing it, but you end up with the rope above the boom. When uphauling or using the harness a lot the connection can get loose after a while. If you do it the opposite way, the rope below the boom will hold the head firmly against the mast. With this system I never experienced a slippery boom, which happens sometimes also with a clamp, either maladjusted or used.