I have constructed a new boom from 4″ schedule 40 aluminum pipe, with stainless caps to accommodate hearty hardware fastenings (outhaul, gooseneck, mainsheet). The caps were welded and then turned on lathe.

Fastenings for caps and sail track have been tapped into the aluminum pipe. Below the two booms are shown together.

The spruce boom vang attachment is shown (strap chafe rear). The new attachment has a doubling sleeve, and a stainless compression tube for 3/8″ stainless bail and through rod.

The next obstacle became mounting hardware with flat mounts, to round pipe. After a couple of experiments, I drilled an appropriate diameter hole in a bunch of scrap marine ply. I then laminated them all together with the holes lined up. I then split the circumference in three and shaped them to fit my shop-made blocks. The were then wrapped in a sheathing of 10 oz fiberglass cloth set in West System epoxy.

One other experiment that proved time consuming, was the construction of a mold, and the the casting of a “fairing block” from extra slow cure West System and chopped fiberglass cloth. The one of this design I made will support the reefing winch

The new boom and mast will be painted in ( it’s here.. but the weather isn’t) PPG Pitthane-Ultra which I have had tinted to “onion skin” not to be fake wood.. but to keep our eyes from burning ..and yearning for our spruce spars.