[C38] boom vang failure

[D. R. Strong]

Dear Group: Pertinent to recent discussions on booms and vangs, our 
Garhauer vang ripped off the boom last weekend during a big jibe. The 
rivets failed. To repair the mess, we drilled out the vang bracket to 
accommodate 5/16 bolts, moved its position about 1 inch aft (avoiding 
the corroded rivet holes), then drilled and tapped the boom  for 5/16 
bolts (this was the repair procedure recommended by Mark at Garhauer). 
Hope these bolts hold, the boom material is not thick!
    No one was hurt, thanks to the boom being pretty much above and away 
from the cockpit.  However, the hard driving crew (my daughter, 
son-in-law, and their racy friends) did have something to think about. 
Personally, I'm a chicken-jiber; complete with preventer and centering 
up the boom before bringing the stern through the wind.
Don

Max Soto wrote:
> Hi David,
> Thanks for the info. I guess that you're right, It will be very risky 
> to use a boom that long without a sleeve for the extra strength.
>
> I guess I just stick with the standard boom.
>
> Regards,
>
> Max
>
> 2009/9/14 David Epstein <davidepstein at seicontrol.com 
> <mailto:davidepstein at seicontrol.com>>
>
>     Hi Max,
>
>     I am sorry, but I don't have the original measurements of the
>     longer boom.   I think we cut it down to the stock size somewhere
>     around 20 years ago.   From memory, our boom was about 40" longer
>     than stock, but I could be wrong about that.
>
>     One thing to keep in mind is that as a result of the mainsheet
>     attaching to the center of the boom (instead of the end), our boom
>     had a second extrusion installed internally as a "sleeve" to
>     strengthen the boom.  Although it still bends when sheeting hard,
>     it has not failed (knock on wood).  As I have seen other C38s
>     break their stock booms, I do suggest you be cautious in this regard.
>
>
>     Regards,
>
>
>     David Epstein
>     C38 #122, SuperStar
>     Marina del Rey, CA
>
>
>
>
>     At 10:22 AM 9/14/2009, you wrote:
>
>         Hi David,
>
>         By any chace do you have the E measure or the mainsail foot
>         measure for the larger boom on Superstar??
>         I just got a very large Sparcraft boom (15'2") from a friend
>         and I was planning to install it in order to have single
>         reefeing lines, but then I was thinking why shouln't I leave
>         this way (or cut it just a little bit) and install a larger
>         foot main.
>         Regards,
>
>
>         Max Soto
>         C38 #198 ESTANCIA
>         Puntarenas, Costa Rica
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>
>
>     David Epstein
>     President, Sound Solutions
>     Chairman, CEA TechHome Division
>     Member of the CEA Board of Industry Leaders
>     Member, CEA Division Executive Board
>     Tel 310.398.0032
>     Fax 310.398.0036
>     www.soundsolutions.com <http://www.soundsolutions.com>
>     www.ce.org <http://www.ce.org>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Max Soto
> C38 #198 ESTANCIA
> Puntarenas, Costa Rica
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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