Boom Design

Welcome to PocketShip.net! This bulletin board is for builders of the Chesapeake Light Craft-John C. Harris "PocketShip" design, a 15-foot micro cruiser sailboat built from a kit or plans.

For more information on PocketShip, click here: http://www.clcboats.com/pocketship

This site gathers PocketShip builders in one place. Here you can share photos, tips, questions, and---eventually---your sailing adventures in PocketShip! CLC will also post design updates and tips here as they come up.

We'll try to knock down spam as quickly as possible.

Moderator: John C. Harris

Forum rules
Spam or commercial posts will be deleted.
This is a civil forum: no flames or drunken tirades.
Please stay on-topic.
PocketShip's Web Page: http://www.clcboats.com/pocketship
If you need CLC customer service: http://www.clcboats.com/forms/contact_us.html
We'll try to delete spam as soon as it appears.

Boom Design

Postby chaertl on Mon Jun 03, 2019 11:20 pm

Hi Everyone,

It's been awhile. I pulled the Chucky B. out of winter storage today thanks to a long wet spring and discovered it didn't fare to well. After nine years of use the spars are in pretty bad shape. The mast and gaff need to be completely stripped and refinished but the boom has a bad case of rot on the end an isn't going to be reusable. This wasn't completely unexpected since I spliced a piece in last year to get another year out of it. Since it needs replacing has anyone made a lighter version? In my opinion it's probably the most over built of the spars. I'm thinking of making a hollow version.

Chris
chaertl
 
Posts: 133
Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:40 pm
Location: Minnesota

Re: Boom Design

Postby Arjen on Sun Jun 09, 2019 10:32 am

Hi Chris,

I consider to build the spars from red cedar. I used this wood for Greenland style padles for kayaking.
Both treatment with epoxy and Tung oil hold very well. Only concern is wether it is strong enough.

From a physics point of view hollow spars can even be stronger then massive spars.Bit difficult to explain but you can imagine that a stiff core can act as a lever stressing the outside. Of course a hollow spar can’t take much perpendicular forces as it is not supported by lack of a core. So it depends on the usage.

Even around-the-world-sailors use hollow spars. And when they need more strength a solid spar is never an option
Arjen
 
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2018 11:41 am

Re: Boom Design

Postby sean on Thu Jun 13, 2019 11:01 pm

Hey Chris,
Sorry to hear of the loss of your spars. For a slightly lightly boom I suppose you could rip the middle board into 3 pieces lengthwise and then leave out most of the middle one (except at the ends). Strength shouldn't suffer much at all, but you'd only save 1/9th the weight at best. Not sure if its worth the extra effort.

I'm doing a bit of the same pondering. In my first time out this season I got a bit ahead of myself and broke my yard. (Definitely user error, and not the yard strength - had the end at the mast locked down for storage when I let it out on a windy day). Other than rebuilding it the same way, I'm thinking about trying for a lighter version as a couple folks have mentioned in the forum using a carbon fiber shaft and/or leaving out the stainless steel track and use rope lashings instead.
Attachments
IMG_8589.jpg
IMG_8589.jpg (111.79 KiB) Viewed 2033 times
sean
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 11:31 am

Re: Boom Design

Postby chaertl on Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:21 am

Hi Sean,

Ouch!, Sorry about your yard. The Chucky B. is back to seaworthy since the boom is useable until the new one gets built. I still have some minor bright work to do but if you want to do some sailing while fixing yours let me know. Thanks for the advice too Arjen!

Chris
chaertl
 
Posts: 133
Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:40 pm
Location: Minnesota


Return to PocketShip Forum

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 30 guests