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I am considering raising the boom/gooseneck on my 30-III 4 to 5 inches to accommodate a new dodger I am having made and because I am 6 feet tall and (dodger or not) the boom currently is only 66 inches off the cockpit floor.
The original owner's manual shows the gooseneck at 28-1/2 inches above the deck. Mine is positioned at exactly that height. The original manual also shows that the mainsail headboard should not extend higher than 1 foot from the masthead. My headboard extends to 17-1/2 inches from the masthead.
So it appears I can raise the boom 4 to 5 inches without having to alter the sail or affect my rigging/sail-set. I am wondering if anyone has done the same. Any thoughts on raising the boom would be appreciated before I have the loft start bending and cutting bows for the dodger.
If you're truly only hoisting to within a foot and a half of the masthead that's a pretty short hoist, so it would appear you do have the room to make that change. How simple it will be depends on how your gooseneck attachment is made. Riveted? Bolted? Welded? on a sliding track? Lots of potential variations.
Moving the sail up the rig will probably increase your heeling moment somewhat, but that should be manageable.
Another possibly simpler option might be to have the foot of the main recut to raise just the clew a 6 inches or a foot or so, lifting the boom enough to create some extra clearance.. Then the next time you buy a sail you could order a full luff length and get that area back.
Be careful, though, that a dodger 'tall enough' for what you think you need doesn't end up an unsightly block ruining the lines of the boat.. We have a very high bridge deck and agonized some time over the overall height - enough for access but not enough to look odd.. our relatively tight space for entry is going to keep us nimble - (that's our story...)
Thank you for the reply Fastner. My gooseneck is bolted onto the mast with 4 bolts. It shouldn't be to much to raise and I rather do that than alter the sail. My sailmaker said that cutting the foot on a angle from the tack to a point above the clew would affect the reef points and they would need to be altered too for the sail to reef properly. As for height I agree with you about the lines of the boat. I am not looking for standing head room under the dodger, just enough to make handling the mainsheet on the cabin top manageable. My only real concern is the heeling moment but I can't imagine that raising the gooseneck 3-4 inches will make a big difference.
Thank you for the reply Faster. My gooseneck is bolted onto the mast with 4 bolts. It shouldn't be to much to raise and I rather do that than alter the sail. ....
Do you know if the current bolts holding your gooseneck are backed up or threaded into nuts as opposed to simply threaded into the (rather thin) mast wall? If so (ie backed up in some way) can you duplicate that when you move it? This is a fitting that gets a bit of a workout, if you're going into the wall alone, rivets might be a better choice, but even they should have backing washers - difficult to do if the mast is rigged.
Understand your reluctance to start cutting up your sails.. and glad you're not looking to build a greenhouse!
I do not know if the bolts are backed. I assumed the holes in the mast were threaded and the bolts simply screwed in. Don't see how they could be backed without unstepping the mast. You make a good point. The company doing the dodger is called JSI The Marine Supply Store for boat parts, hardware and sailing equipment in Tampa Bay.. They are a complete rigging outfit, sails, canvas, spars etc. I am meeting with someone from their rigging shop tomorrow at the boat to discuss options. And, absolutely no greenhouse. I appreciate the lines of my boat.
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