[Public-List] fixed vs sliding boom gooseneck attachment at mast

Sun Aug 3 05:53:25 PDT 2008

The late Joe Fernandez of Triton Sails, original builder of factory supplied 
sails for Whitby Boat Works, did not like floating goosenecks and preferred 
the more modern fixed boom Cunningham arrangement. He felt that hauling down 
the boom to pull the draft forward over tensioned the rest of the sail and 
was unnecessary.

That said, I still have a floating gooseneck and a Cunningham too.

You won't harm you boat by going to a fixed neck if that is what you want. 
The wood behind the track by the way is likely red oak - crappy wood prone 
to rot, white oak is better. Mine is Tufnell.

ATB

John

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "J Bergquist" <jbergqui at gmail.com>
To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2008 7:37 AM
Subject: Re: [Public-List] fixed vs sliding boom gooseneck attachment at 
mast

> The cunningham can also be run through a cringle in the luff of the
> main some distance above the tack. This way, instead of pulling on the
> gooseneck, you are pulling on the actual sail. What I'm saying is that
> the sliding gooseneck fitting is not necessary in order to have a
> cunningham. Many albergers pull from the sail instead of running the
> cunningham to the boom and pulling down on the whole boom.
>
> Most sailboats have a fixed gooseneck and run the cunningham from the
> luff cringle. I believe the Alberg 30's were fitted with sliding
> goosenecks so that they could use a roller furling main (very old
> school one). The forward end of the boom also has a fitting with a
> worm gear inside to which you can attach a crank and roll the sail
> around the boom. I think this can only be done with a battenless sail
> or a sail with battens parallel to the foot, so most people (at least,
> most that I know) don't have a sail which will work with this
> arrangement.
>
> My boat had the sliding gooseneck and rotating boom setup. When I
> installed a rigid vang, these had to be fixed, so I through-bolted 2
> of the screws on the mast track to fix the gooseneck location
> vertically. Then I through-bolted past the worm gear to prevent the
> rotation of the boom. I did not buy a new fitting and fortunately my
> track was in good enough shape that I just kept it...that was 2 years
> ago and so far so good.
>
> I can send you pix of this if you like.
>
> J
>
> On Sat, Aug 2, 2008 at 11:28 PM, Jacques TN <jdusseault at synergem.org> 
> wrote:
>> Gerry,
>>
>> The boom slides up and down on the track on the mast in order to assist 
>> in
>> trimming the mainsail.  A line called a Cunningham tensions the boom (
>> tightens the luff of the sail) by pulling down and is tied to a cleat 
>> lower
>> down on the mast.  The Cunningham adjustment (tight or loose) affects the
>> mainsail draft position. With a loose Cunningham the draft will be 
>> further
>> aft. When the Cunningham is tensioned the draft will move forward and 
>> open
>> the leech of the mainsail. To help with the right sail shape it is 
>> usually
>> tensioned down in higher winds and loosened up in light winds.  If you 
>> use a
>> fixed attachment of the boom to the mast you will loose this sail 
>> trimming
>> potential.  Unless we are racing I usually set my luff tension using the
>> Cunningham midway in tension.  That is usually good enough for me.
>> Otherwise I use the main halyard tension to provide some tension or not. 
>> I
>> hope this makes sense??
>>
>> Jacques
>> Kilwinning #446
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: public-list-bounces at lists.alberg30.org
>> [mailto:public-list-bounces at lists.alberg30.org] On Behalf Of David 
>> Tessier
>> Sent: August-02-08 10:50 PM
>> To: public-list at lists.alberg30.org
>> Subject: [Public-List] fixed vs sliding boom gooseneck attachment at mast
>>
>> Our gooseneck slides on a 1" wide track whose attachment screws have 
>> failed.
>> The existing track consists of a 1" wide x 1/8" thick by 18" long (tapped
>> screw fasteners every 2") Stainless Steel bar, screwed to the aft surface 
>> of
>> the mast and held off the mast with a ca. 1/8" thick wooden (teak?) 
>> spacer.
>> The wood appears to have weakened over the years/decades and 7 of the 10
>> screws have sheared off.  We have the option of removing the threaded
>> remains of the screws and refitting the existing track, this time with an
>> aluminium spacer. However, I wonder whether a fixed attachment point for 
>> the
>> boom gooseneck might be more convenient and stronger (and free up a cleat 
>> at
>> the base of my mast).Any comments or references to discussion of fixed vs
>> sliding gooseneck attachment would be greatly appreciated.Suggestions for
>> hardware replacements for fittings for fixed or sliding (type of track,
>> material of construction) configurations would also be welcome.  David &
>> Gerry Tessier"Trois
>>  Bouleaux" #319Georgian Bay, ON
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>
>
>
> -- 
> J Bergquist
> ----------------------------------------
> No News is Good News
> ----------------------------------------
> http://otziblog.blogspot.com
> ----------------------------------------
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