Old boom dimensions are
3 1/2" X 2 3/8" weighing approx 16 1/2#
New boom dimensions are
4 7/16" X 2 7/8" weighing in at 22 1/2#*
The new boom is a single extrusion with a groove on top, 3 incised reference lines. One on the bottom and one at 90 on each side. Makes putting on eyes, fairleads, cleats a breeze (eg: lazy jacks.) The scantlings of the new boom are a result of my being uncomfortable with the skinny old boom used for loosefoot and hard vang attachment. Not that anything untoward to old booms with modern alterations has happened so far as I know. I feel some redundancy is needed for cruising. There's a price in weight for that, but I feel now the new boom matches the mast in proportional strength, and aesthetics.
The boom is attached with a normal gooseneck fitting (not in pic) to the mast. The long oblique cutout has jammers that can be used for at mast reefing - or reef lines can be led down to the base (with the jam cleats deactivated) and led aft on the cabin top. (#264 top)
The outboard end with the smaller cutout has the clew line in the center sheeve of three with reefing lines entering the boom on either side. The reefing lines are deadended with simple loops around the spar. They would go up to cringles on the leech, down to sheeves in the end of the boom, then forward inside to exit at the mast. I don't know what the purchase is on the internal clew cable. How one pulls maintenance on the internal block system remains to be seen. (264 lower)
If I wanted to lead the luffcringle lines aft that could be done along with the leech reef lines. (Along with the 'continuous reef line' that gathers the flap of the sail and bundles it.) Not sure if that is a good idea to run it all back on the cabintop anyway as it's probably better to use hooks on the gooseneck or something else like small tackles?` Hope to find out one-o-these-days. Depends on what the conditions are and what control the helm has while shortening sail. Cruisers might want to have the trisail ready at the mast and that's another set of lines that may not go to the cockpit.
Exceptionally made spar with fantastic 'coin stack' aluminum welding on the inserts. Has a soft browngold flushed annodised silver metallic finish. It's really beautyful! The choice of finish was that or no finish to allow painting. Painting over new annodize is a complicated process and screws up the annodize. When I get to painting the mast have to try to get something close to the boom finish. It reminds me of clear coat powder-coatings. My old Dodge truck has failing clearcoat over "Driftwood" that changes from a warm silvery brown in the sun to a cool grey in the shade or when its overcast.
The 2006 cost from Ballenger Spars in Watsonville was under $900. I was the transport. At the moment there seems to be no reason why one could not carry the original boom along as a spare or for wing-and-wing, and with the spinnaker pole, be able to rig legs too for the boat (see Baldwin's Atom) when needed at the ends of the earth.
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*on a ten dollar Sunbeam scale
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Tough Nell
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