Boom storage ideas?

[mtc]

Where do you secure your boom when trailering?

i considered lashing to the mast to the starboard stanctions while i'm de-rigging.

[Sloop John B]

The boom is normally stashed in the cabin with the main bungied to it. It's too long to fit in the bed of a pickup truck.

I'm interested in other ideas because when traveling across country, the only way to justify the $46 fill ups at the pump is to avoid a few motel bills now and then by camping out in a Flying J.

The boom takes up a lot of room in the cabin. I think the only thing that can be done for my purpose is to make room to slide the thing as far as it will go into the aft berth at an angle.

[baldbaby2000]

We bungee our boom to the port side stanchions. We leave the sail and sail cover on it. If it's going to sit out a long time we bring it inside.

[mtc]

leaving the main on the boom is interesting. . .

we slide the boom off when de-rigging.

what about your battons?

[ALX357]

This following idea was presented in the battery location thread just a couple of days ago, but belongs in this thread now that it has come up.
i carry the boom in taller part of the portside aft berth, the clew end suspended from a bracket near the transom, and the tack end from its gooseneck in an eye, strap and hook attached to the headliner over the galley. it passes over the battery compartment and behind the deck post - the only place i found to keep it where it is mainly out of the way, and not obstructing living spaces. It is there in front of you at the galley, but easily worked around and it doesn't move around or shift. Note that i do have the main removed when carrying the boom here. For the main, i leave the battens attached, and flake the sail so it sticks out of its bag, with another (Genoa) bag over the top to contain the whole sail.
The aft berth is no longer a place to sleep, i removed the cushions and filled the "floor" with large shallow plastic storage bins for life vests, sails in bags, etc. stuff that doesn't fit well into the built-in lockers. what a miserable place to sleep on a X anyway, with the control and steering cables, low overhead, difficult access and poor ventilation flow.

[Graham Carr]

On long road trips I do not like storing the boom in the cabin because we sleep in the cabin. So to store the boom, I lay the boom on top of the cabin and just clip the boom bails to the Port stanchion post. This keeps the boom secure. The main sail is stored in its bag. You can see this here; http://www.grahamcarr.com/trailer.htm. I'll post some better shots soon.

[ALX357]

for adults, the rear berth ?- what a miserable place to sleep on a X anyway, with the control and steering cables, low overhead, difficult access and poor ventilation flow. (just saw the aft berth port installed into the hull, would that ever be a problem with sailing heeled over ? ), Sure can see kids there, but even with the boom there , the rear berth is still usable if the mast is suspended in the tall portion. The loss of that small sitting space in the X rear berth is not much missed, it's not a M with that huge area to sit in.

[Rolf]

I store the boom and mainsail in the rafters of my garage -- but then I usually only fly the jib/genoa/spinnaker with my 6'4 bimini up (no room for the boom). I always stored if in the port side of the vee berth, fit perfectly pressed between galley sink and inside bow of the boat. Leaves room for sleeping on longer starboard side with backrest removed and especially with table down, plus aft berths. With large family like Duane A's, would still be in the way, tho..
Rolf

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

We leave our main always on the boom under the sail cover. For trailering it goes down in the cabin, all the way forward in the vee berth along the port side. It will just fit in the space forward of the galley on an X. This gets it out of the way for the most part and you can use the interior of the boat pretty normally, except obviously the vee berth.

[edurbin]

Yeah, I leave my main on the boom and wind it around, suggested by somebody else on this web site - nice idea - very neat, and can leave the battens in. Then I put the gooseneck end right up in the vee berth, just resting it on a pillow. The aft end I sling from an eyebolt attached to the headlining. Actually, I took out one of Rogers plastic hole covers, immediately below one of the port staunchion bases (inside the cabin). Then I replaced his bolt with an eyebolt. Very sturdy mounting point.

This is pretty good spot for the boom and main sail. Vee berth is still more or less functional, and can still access all seating on the port side, the forward hatch and the head. Much better than taking up floor space at the aft end, and, nice and secure.

Craig

[waternwaves]

Thanks a lot Craig........

here I was, fat, dumb and happy with my lumpy main all flopped back and forth over the boom....and the associated drag therewith.. and bagged in the nice Macgregor labeled cover.....

and now I have to think about roller wrapping on the boom....
So that I can modify that Macgregor cover to a smaller sexier size and motor faster....

lets see......5/16 pin, ratcheting rotating boom torlon bearing/brake with cockpit control line., custom cast integral boom cap crank, so that I dont need the downhaul, rotating boom cap pin for clipping to topping lift or backstay...., jiffy reef clips to replace my single line jiffy reefing....for the two reefing sizes

arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh


lets see.....2012 maybe???

[ALX357]

Edurbin, to keep the boom suspended from the ceiling of the rear berth and partially over the galley, it doesn't take up ANY floor space anywhere, and leaves the entire V-berth free to use. I would think the end of the boom if put there on a pillow would take away the foot room from sleeping, and the only advantage to keeping the boom up front would be its weight.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Darren,

You are describing the roller furling boom that MacGregor made for the 1970 Venture 21 I had. The boom rotated on a gooseneck that was spring loaded with a one way ratcheting connection. There was a crank at the end. The way you reefed was to wind the main around the boom. The ratchet kept it from un-rolling. To un-roll you would pull back on the boom so the ratchet teeth dis-engaged and it could rotate the other way.

While a interesting concept, in practice it was really quite useless and we never used it as designed.

[waternwaves]

Duane,

I see.

...cover to a smaller sexier size and motor faster....

is about the only reason I can find for having that. Thanks for the history. probably noy the only 35 year old wrong idea I have come up with.....lol

[edurbin]

Not sure about the Cheif Stewards comment (whether its for the X or the M). The 26M is little bit shorter in the cockpit than the X (I think), and I found the boom length would protrude quite a bit into the cabin space when stored at rear. My case, I found it to be in the way when stored down the back. But, I've done some other things inside the cabin around the stairs and need the space (dining table, galley, oars, boat hook).

Wrapping the main around the boom does do a neat job for storage. I don't flake the main any more. I like the idea of that furling boom. Offers some opportunity to fold up the main when single handed.

I'll put a few pictures in the Mods page later on for what I've done. Works for me.

Craig