Re: carbon booms

From: Jon Wagner (jondrums@hotmail.com-DeleteThis.com)
Date: Tue Mar 11 2003 - 10:55:26 PST


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From: "Jon Wagner" <jondrums@hotmail.com-DeleteThis.com>
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Subject: Re: carbon booms
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 10:55:26 -0800
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> What kind of experiences have people had with the carbon Hawaiian
> Proline and Fiberspar booms? Are they worth the extra bucks?

Do you ever break booms?
How hard do you hang on the boom?

I am over 200 pounds and sail hard. I pull hard on the boom - I don't know
why, I just do. I have broken just about every type of boom out there
except one... Hawaiian pro line carbon. I bought a heavily used one and
it has served me well for about a season so far. My chinook carbon broke
after about two months, I've broken two fiberspars and just about everyone I
know who's owned a fiberspar has broken at least one (fibersnap?). I was
short on cash when I broke the chinook carbon boom, so I got a chinook
aluminum, and that one bent on me on the first session.

Generally I would trust a brand new fiberspar boom, because what usually
goes is those really poorly designed "twist-locks". They start failing
after about a season or so, and you have to replace them (which is easy, and
the kit costs about $20). If you don't you'll immediately start going
through tail-ends which is a bit of a drag. Also I think that fiberspar
went through a couple of "bad years" with their production - which is why a
lot of people call them fiber-snap.

Another tip - don't extend the booms all the way out to their outer limit.
The manufacturers give it that much range so they can market it as a really
versatile boom, but the last 10-15cm are really weak so don't pull as hard
on if you're using the boom out at its outer range.

So to sum up, if you need durability, get a hawaiian pro-line, as far as I'm
concerned its the only one. However, I know plenty of people who've sailed
the same chinook aluminum boom for years with not a single problem, so it
really depends on your sailing style. For my style I can immediately tell
the difference in a carbon boom.

Jon
ps. don't know anything about dynafiber.. maybe that's an option too?



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