When I went to Lord Howe Island the 6.7m rig was so light compared to what I use. My boom weighs as much as the whole rig I used there.
So..I assume my boom is Aluminium a Loft 1.75 - 2.2 or something like that length.Is there a way to get a lighter option without spending mega bucks?
I assume there is only carbon or aluminium? Someone showed me their carbon boom today and it was as heavy as mine.. Please explain..?

I agree. The booms are generally the same weight, and it is most likely the difference in mast weight.

Years ago I went from a 30% carbon 460 to a 75% carbon, and the rig felt completely different and felt much much lighter.

I suspect that is the difference you have noticed.

Not all carbon booms are 100% carbon... Just like there are cheap carbon masts (30%), there are also cheap carbon booms (They never tell us the carbon content because nobody asks)..

This is why it doesn't make sense when people say, "I only paid $600 for my carbon boom, and you got ripped off because you paid $1000"

The boom is where the weight is least problematic, and since maximum stiffness is required, a cheap carbon boom just packs on Fibreglass to return stiffness, and adding weight..

But if you lift the rig up on the beach, the weight saving you notice comes equally from all parts.. On the water a lighter boom will be less important than a light sail and mast... (OR, GayPryde who match a heavy sail with a light mast??)

sboardcrazy, they are right, if your mast is 65% carbon you will really notice the difference when you get 100% (or slightly below 100%, which seems to be less breakable).

I recently switched masts from a 30% carbon pig with a long extension to a shorter, much higher carbon mast with a short extension and a tip extender, and my rig feels amazingly lighter. Loving it!



And although, as we have heard, boom weight is less of an issue, there is a way to reduce this: try using the shortest boom you can, at almost full extension, rather than a longish boom less extended. The weight difference between a boom that is, say, 180-230cm and one that is 130-180cm can be quite noticeable. It might be weird to use a shorter boom when the longer one seems more appropriate because the sail specs fall comfortably in the middle of it's adjustment range, but you can aways give it a go. (whereas I'm a heavyweight so I go for the safer, longer-than-necessary option)

sboardcrazy said...

My mast is a SDM 55% carbon and the sail a 6.6m cammed concept.The booms on LHI were NX3 ones .I think the sail was uncammed and the 5.3m was a tempo which is really light.

The NP x3 booms are made of paper with a double layer of aluminium colored spray paint. I'd stick to your anchor of a boom rather than go down that route.

knigit said...

sboardcrazy said...

My mast is a SDM 55% carbon and the sail a 6.6m cammed concept.The booms on LHI were NX3 ones .I think the sail was uncammed and the 5.3m was a tempo which is really light.

The NP x3 booms are made of paper with a double layer of aluminium colored spray paint. I'd stick to your anchor of a boom rather than go down that route.

Interesting description..

Wet Willy said...

barn said...

Wet Willy said...

try using the shortest boom you can, at almost full extension, rather than a longish boom less extended.

There is nothing more painful than using a boom on full extension!! That extra length of boom adds stiffness.. Stiffness > Weight

Well, maybe not to the very last notch! But for a lightweight sailor and smaller sails it might be fine. I was using a boom like this recently and had no noticeable probs, although I wouldn't do it by choice coz I'm heavy....

I have to agree I would not use by choice a boom on more than 50% of its extension. I am a big guy and sail with big sails the longer the boom is extended the weaker it is.

Wet Willy said...

SWS said...

Wet Willy said...

barn said...

Wet Willy said...

try using the shortest boom you can, at almost full extension, rather than a longish boom less extended.

There is nothing more painful than using a boom on full extension!! That extra length of boom adds stiffness.. Stiffness > Weight

Well, maybe not to the very last notch! But for a lightweight sailor and smaller sails it might be fine. I was using a boom like this recently and had no noticeable probs, although I wouldn't do it by choice coz I'm heavy....

I have to agree I would not use by choice a boom on more than 50% of its extension. I am a big guy and sail with big sails the longer the boom is extended the weaker it is.

That's what I say too. But I'm just trying to suggest that most of us see this as an unbreakable rule, whereas by ignoring this rule a lighter sailor using small sails can actually afford to go down a boom size and save a noticeable amount of weight.

True if you are a lighter sailor.....it is a pity we don't have confidence in our booms to use them at full extension. I guess the best solution for weight and strength would be fixed length booms. But then you would need a boom for each of your sails.......I do know people who have a boom for each sail they have so that it is always setup at the correct length for the sail.