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Broken boom bracket - any make a new one?

3K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  tschmidty 
#1 ·
Hi,

Please forgive me if I've posted this in the wrong thread (this is my first post)

I have broken the bracket on our boom which connects to the mast.

The mast and boom was made by Kemp Masts (they don't seem to exist now) and is probably 30 years old.
The boat is a 26 foot Mirage (again about 30 years old).

I have attached a couple of pictures of the bracket and boom.

I am looking for someone who either repair this bracket or possibly make a new one for me OR if anyone knows if I can buy a replacement one of these?

My boat is moored on the River Medway, Rochester, Kent UK.

Any possible feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Stuart
 

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#3 ·
I agree welding is an option. However it's cast aluminum and there is lots of corrosion so it will be challenging. I doubt it is magnesium, but you just might want to make sure. If so welding is out of the question.

It's a T slot in the mast so the broken bit will need to be slid the length of the mast(or dropped out the bottom ;-( ), unless there is an opening part way up. Ideally I would try to find someone who can fashion a new bracket out of stainless steel. It does not have to be fancy. Two small lengths of flat bar welded into a T shape along with a couple of square bits with drilled holes welded on the ends for the clevis pin.
 
#4 ·
Also looking at the bit that's still in the mast there seemed evidence of something else having broken off of that bracket below the boom mount. The part left behind in the T slot is quite long. Is it possible there were some anchor points for a vang or something else? Make sure that stopper block can be loosened and is free to move up. If you use a simpler shorter bracket you will need to raise the stopper to replicate the boom height. If it does turn out to be frozen you will need to make sure you replicate the height either with a shim or a longer T bracket.
 
#5 ·
Contact Rig-Rite Inc. they list Kemp Spars on their site
Spars Main Page
and the gooseneck slide on the bottom of this page Gooseneck Slides looks like it might match.

Try Selden /Kemp Spare Parts
Some of the parts on this page look like they might work, depending on dimensions of course.
Boom Brackets

I would also look into these guys in the UK
Kemp Sails are an appointed dealer for Selden Masts,(formerly known as Kemp Masts in the UK),Rigging
 
#6 · (Edited)
If you can remove the broken bit out of the sail track, (at the gate) then you could find a piece of material that will slide in the track, the same length as the fitting that 'broke'. Line the two up and drill a few holes in the cast part, with matching tapped holes in the slider piece you just made.

You'll probably need to countersink the holes on the casting, so the gooseneck isn't interfered with. Slide the new backing piece down the track, and bolt the casting to it through the slot. This will clamp itself in place against the back of the sailtrack. Even better, drill the mast through the bottom of the sail track and use longer bolts to 'pin' the whole assembly in place. It looks like a 'sliding' gooseneck originally, but there's not really any need to keep it that way, and you can eliminate the downhaul you may have had before...

Here's a drawing that might help.. here a piece of round stock fit into the sail track, but a flat bar would do too, if that's the shape of the slot...

 
#7 ·
That would be an easy piece to fabricate for a welder and one in stainless steel, while being a tiny bit heavier would be stronger to boot. I made one out of common steel with a good urethane paint for my 17 foot trailer sailor and it worked great.

The harder part will be getting that piece out since it looks big enough to not fit through a slot of any sort. Looks like you will need to drop the mast.

The link to the fixed brackets that mmazour posted would work and would have the advantage of you being able to replace it without dropping the mast. I am actually not a huge fan of sliding goosenecks myself since it's one other thing to fiddle with.
 
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