Goosneck/boom position

[paulmw]

Hi folks - still working on restoring my 18' sailing dinghy. One of the odd things I discovered is that the gooseneck - where the boom meets the mast - is only 4" above the foredeck. Now I haven't tried it on the water (still fixing the hull ), but 4" wouldn't seem to give me much room to duck....even if the seat is 4" lower than the foredeck...<br /><br />The main is 13', the mast ~16'. So I could hike the boom up a foot or so, without tangling it with the shrouds.<br /><br />Any opinions?<br /><br />Thanks!

 

[moderator1]

Re: Goosneck/boom position

Paul, I am going to move this to the sailing section. Your choice for projects was good. I just think you may get a better response rate in the sailing area. Good luck.

 

[flashback]

Re: Goosneck/boom position

I have my gooseneck on a section of track so it can go up or down about a foot. seems to work out good for me.....but I don't think you would have a problem with moving a fixed gooseneck up, as long as you can still get a FULL hoist on the main sail....

 

[Curzon]

Re: Goosneck/boom position

Sounds like a great project. A lot of racing guys like to get their hoist/boom height as high as possible within the restrictions of their class and the stability of their boat. The reason being that (apparently) the wind is better up there! From a cruising sailor's POV I like to have a bit of room to move below the boom. Whatever your reason, there is no problem raising the position of your gooseneck providing (as Flash says) you can get a full hoist, and it does not adversely affect the stability of your boat.