Boom hanger

[Erick Singleman]

After looking at some of the details from 1938 hardware I came home a discovered that my boom hanger is not the type that is permanently fixed to the mast but rather a sliding version that attaches to the sail track.  This must be yet another refinement between 1938 and 1941, as this bronze part is dimensioned similarly to the Herreshoff 1938 boom hanger with identical length etc.

Anyone know of other boats with this sliding boom hanger, or how they were used.  I should attach a photo, as it has a screw knob on it, but I imagine there was a lead attached also that was cleated further down the mast.

[Steve]

I haven't seen a set-up like you describe.  A picture would be helpful.  You believe it is original?  Perhaps a little close examination would yield a casting pattern number ?

[Adam]

I'm trying to picture what you are describing - a Downhaul?

[Erick Singleman]

I will take a picture of the boom hanger (Herreshoff term), the modern term is gooseneck, and upload it.  It has a knurlled knob that screws in to put pressure on the sail track to hold it in place, however, if you wanted to adjust the tension on the luff of the sail an keep it, I don't think the knob would be enough to hold it, so I think you would attach some type of vang or something to cleat if off further down the mast.

[Steve]

Does this help?

[Erick Singleman]

The oness in the middle of the page are sort of like it, you'll see tomorrow when I post a photo.

[Erick Singleman]

I'll try to post the pictures, here goes....

First picture, gooseneck.  I think it looks like an original Herreshoff based on the drawing I saw for the fixed gooseneck.  The knurled knob is spring loaded and is designed to be captured by holes drilled in the sail track.  My mast track has four holes to choose from.

Second and third pictures are of the hardware to attach the clew of the sail.  there are a pair of pulleys (one on each side) one looks original bronze, and the other looks like an add on, and in my opinion seems unnecessary, but i am not sure how this if original was intended to be configured.  On the '38 plans a rope eye goes through the clew grommet in the sail and the end of the boom has a vertical slot carved to guide the line down and around to tie off on a jam cleat positioned on the port side of the boom.  This piece of hardware is neat, as it is hinged and has a spring loaded pin to easily insert the clew grommet in and out, and it locks in place very securely.

[Steve]

Interesting ... this is the first I have seen this arrangement.  My own boat had mast hoops ... no sailtrack on the mast.  So the mast fitting connects via the sailtrack and is not permanently affixed to the spar?  That seems to be a rather weak connection.  Does anyone else have experience with such an arrangement?

[Adam]

Not sure whats so special about this arangement? Looks like every other small boat I've owned (well most anyway) Sliding goosneck with pin lock for the tack and sliding outhaul for the tack....I'd bet add on block was for a lazyjack system maybe?...On any boat I've have the end of the clew was not tied off on the pully but rather the round eye just in front. I have a sinmilar arrangement on my boat now...Are there cleats on either side of the boom forward?

[Erick Singleman]

Not sure this is special, just not documented in Herreshoff plans up to 1938, so I am not 100% sure of the true configuration.  I suspect the eye shown was another add on.  My though is the end of the clew outhaul should be tied to the front of the sliding part, pass around the one pulley and forward to the jam cleat on the side of the boom a few feet forward. However this would put a bit of a transverse force on the slider, having an eye on the other side of the boom from the pulley and tying the end to it and running it around the front of the slide would create a aftward force on the slide, maybe that is what it really should be?

[Adam]

My thought is the add on block has nothing to do with the outhaul but one of three things - Part of a lazy jack, reefing, or adjustable topping lift... I don't know if any of the three would be OME on a 12, you two would know better then I....

Here is a drawing of a typical gaff setup showing all three - from Marshall but I assume it fits what we are talking about (?)....

[Erick Singleman]

Could be Adam.  Don't know why you'd have lazy jacks on a 12 though, unless you are really lazy especially on a Marconi rigged 12.  But the last guy who had this boat in the water must have been, as the boom is split in half right down the middel form glue failure.  If he had kept up on the finish that wouldn't have happened.  Aslo, to fix the problem he cut out 4" x 4" pieces of plastic sheet about 1/8"thick and tacked these across the split in the boom in about six places.  With the sliding gooseneck and the spring loaded clew fitting it would have been very easy to take the darn boom off and do a propper repair.  Now I am stuck with cleaning up all of the holes and deterioration where he nailed in all of these tacks (about 16 for each 4 x 4 strap he put on .  However it does look like I will be able to salvage the boom and make it look pretty good.  The mast, i don't know yet, it will at least need a scarfed in piece at the top.

[Adam]

Doh!

[Erick Singleman]

Ah, a bit of evidence from last year's Herreshoff regatta.  The photo below shows the boom on the museum's Fish class.  It has the exact arrangement that my boom has on the end.  This makes me feel like I have the correct hardware.  Notice it has pulleys on each side of the boom at the back to redirect the clew tightening lines forward.  On the 1938 12 1/2 plans, although it did not show this later vintage hardware with two side pulleys, it did show the clew line going through a vertical slot notched out of the end of the boom to redirect the single line back to a wooden jam cleat 2' 5" forward on the port side of the boom.

Seems like with this cleat roughly 2.5 feet forward it seems possible that the clew could be adjusted by the skipper with one hand on the tiller.

Configuring two lines going forward to jam cleats on both sides of the boom would presumably make it easier to adjust the clew from either tack.

Also this boom appears to be made of Douglas Fir (Oregon pine) as is mine.  However my mast seems to be made of Sitka Spruce.  Does anyone know if it was common practice to mix the species on the spars? HMC called out either wood on the 1938 plans.

[Steve]

Here is an image of the gooseneck assembly that Steve Ballentine sells for the 12:



This pdf is from Jim Reineck's catalog and shows his interpretation of the gooseneck on page 3.

http://www.herreshoffregistry.org/forum/images/2002pro.pdf