F25 boom support (e.g. "boomkicker")

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unfetteredalexandria
Posts: 128
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:57 pm

F25 boom support (e.g. "boomkicker")

Post by unfetteredalexandria »

I am interested in rigging some type of rigid or semi-rigid boom support (e.g. "boomkicker") on my Freedom 25. Anyone have advice on how I might do it?

I have the round carbon fiber mast. There is no sail track below the boom, and unlike some of the larger Freedoms, there is no mast/deck attach collar with bolt holes in it for attaching things.

The existing vang runs from a bail on the bottom of the (aluminum) boom, to an eye mounted to a teak block. This block is mounted on the front, up-sloping part of the cabin-top, just aft of the mast, at perhaps a 40 deg angle to the horizontal. I've attempted to attach a sketch to this post.

"fgljff" on the old freedomyachts2003 yahoo group posted on May 26, 2007 that when got his F25, it had the boomkicker but no vang. "fgljff," if you are here now, maybe you could describe how yours was set up?
Attachments
F25vang.pdf
F25 vang setup sketch
(7.45 KiB) Downloaded 517 times
1984 round-mast Freedom 25
Western Shore of the Chesapeake

unfetteredalexandria
Posts: 128
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:57 pm

Re: F25 boom support (e.g. "boomkicker")

Post by unfetteredalexandria »

In case anyone is interested, I have made some progress on this front after several helpful email exchanges with Ted Corlett at Boomkicker. One of his suggestions was to epoxy a teak block to the base of the mast, and attach the boomkicker there. To that end, I have successfully made a prototype from a scrap of 2x4 using a 7" dado blade set at a 12 deg angle so as to cut a cove that matches the circumference of the mast near the base.
1984 round-mast Freedom 25
Western Shore of the Chesapeake

bearb4tree
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:10 pm
Location: San Franciso Bay

Re: F25 boom support (e.g. "boomkicker")

Post by bearb4tree »

Hi,

Have you had any luck with the boomkicker?

I was wondering about this today, curious to see how you made out.

Cheers,

Matt
Hull #216

Mike Holibar
Posts: 174
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:41 am

Re: F25 boom support (e.g. "boomkicker")

Post by Mike Holibar »

I am just working in this area on the fore-mast. I have made up a stainless steel band with a swivel on about the same vertical centerline as the gooseneck. This is similar to the rod kicker mount on the main mast. The previous arrangement where the kicker was shackled to a lug on the aluminium ring failed spectacularly when sailing down wind in about 30 knots. It had lasted about 50,000 miles so I can't really knock the design, but the lug was subject to alternating side loads and had been cracked for some time before it failed. What surprised me was the amount of power involved when it failed, sounded like a gun shot. I like your idea of the teak block glued to the mast but, because of the load factor, I would be making sure you got the maximum area of glue contact possible. Because teak is oily I would also wash the glue area with apowerful detergent (Altex Devoe have a good one for this purpose) or solvent to make sure the glue gets the best possible adhesion. I note on your sketch of the kicker to cabin-top arrangement that the kicker block is well aft of the goose neck. Doesn't that mean the kicker will load up as the boom moves outboard? Is there something about this setup that relieves the tension? Kind regards,
Mike Holibar
S/V Fyne Spirit of Plymouth (Freedom 39PHS-1989)
Lyttelton
New Zealand

unfetteredalexandria
Posts: 128
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:57 pm

Re: F25 boom support (e.g. "boomkicker")

Post by unfetteredalexandria »

I have had too many irons in the fire to make progress on this lately, but will update this thread as soon as work resumes.

I did want to clear up a possible point of confusion about my sketch. There is an existing teak block on the forward portion of the cabin top and this is where the existing vang arrangement attaches, i.e. the vang attach point is indeed aft of the gooseneck, although my sketch exaggerates the distance. This was apparently the original Freedom 25 round-mast design, and has not proven to be a problem, at least in my experience daysailing around the Chesapeake and Potomac. My plan for the boomkicker is to attach a new teak block to the mast, directly below the gooseneck, in approximately the location that the vang would be attached on almost every other boat. I plan to leave the existing vang arrangement alone.
1984 round-mast Freedom 25
Western Shore of the Chesapeake

unfetteredalexandria
Posts: 128
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:57 pm

Re: F25 boom support (e.g. "boomkicker")

Post by unfetteredalexandria »

For those following this thread, I completed the project yesterday, and here is an email I sent to Ted Corlett just now:

Ted,

You may recall our correspondence from March concerning installation of the Boomkicker on a round-mast Freedom 25, which has no mast track or other means of attaching the Boomkicker's mast bracket. You ended up making two suggestions: a teak block epoxied to the mast, and tapping directly into the carbon-fiber mast for the machine screws. After several months of delay, I ended up pursuing the former option, which I completed yesterday.

I used a 7" dado blade at a 12 deg angle to produce the cove cut that matches the mast diameter. I used the Gougeon Brothers' suggestion of receiving the fasteners into the teak block with two nuts bedded in epoxy. I've included several pictures for you below. Design and fabrication of the teak block, inclusive of production of several prototypes in pine to get the angle right, took about 5 hours. Fitting and installing the block to the mast was another hour. The rest (tapping into the boom, etc.) took about 30 minutes. Since I had to allow the epoxy to set, first for the fasteners in the block, and then for the block bonding to the mast, the whole process took place over 3 days. If I had it to do over, the only change I would make is to use something other than Marine Tex epoxy for bonding the block to the mast, since it leaves an "Elmers Glue" appearance. I'm going to try and get some dark caulk to cover this.

I haven't yet sailed with it, so I don't know if I have the right rods installed. The larger ones, which are in there now, appear to be a little too stiff.

Thanks for your support, and I hope this info may be helpful to your future customers. I will be posting this info also to the FreedomYachts.org site.
Boomkicker on round-mast F25
Boomkicker on round-mast F25
boomkickerf25.jpg (83.9 KiB) Viewed 6306 times
Teak attach block cove-cut to fit mast.
Teak attach block cove-cut to fit mast.
blockmastpersp.jpg (73.66 KiB) Viewed 6306 times
1984 round-mast Freedom 25
Western Shore of the Chesapeake

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