Nathan; When I rerigged Imzadi back in 2011 or 2012, I talked to my sailmaker and the rigger about doing what you are considering. Imzadi's boom was about 30" off the deck, which put the vang at a marginally flat angle and limited the access to the companionway. I, too, wanted to put on a taller dodger to aid access below.
They pointed out that the black stripe at the top of the mast (an indicator of the max luff length for racing purposes) was a foot below the top of the mast, so the gooseneck and black stripe could both be moved up and still be legal. My gooseneck was installed on the mast with 8 or 10 machine screws, so it was an easy task to move the gooseneck up about 8" and repaint the black stripe. I find no difference in the sailing qualities of my boat. The rigid vang is much closer to the optimum 45 degree angle. Clearance in the cockpit is better. And there is enough room over the companionway that a hard dodger with solar panels mounted on it has been added to the project list. The first downside is that the top batten in the main (a five batten main with maximum roach) tends to get caught by the backstay when tacking in light winds. But I have the same problem with my 25, and the gooseneck is in the original location. A timely tug down on the boom is sometimes needed to clear the batten. Since you indicate you have a second hand main that is 1 1/2 feet shorter than the proper main for your boat, I don't imagine you have this problem. It might become an issue when you get a new sail that is the proper length. The second downside is the result of the Tides Strong Track on the mast and the new main I bought last year. The new main has more "slugs" in the track than the old one (though it is the number recommended by Tides for the luff length of a main for a 38) and the stack height puts the top of the headboard just about as high as I can reach when connecting the halyard or putting on the mainsail cover. I sometimes wish I was a couple of inches taller. All in all, I'm pleased with the consequences of moving my gooseneck up. Rick Brass Imzadi C&C 38 mk2 #47 la Belle Aurore C&C 25 mk1 #225 Washington, NC -----Original Message----- From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Nathan Post via CnC-List Sent: Tuesday, August 7, 2018 8:33 AM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Cc: Nathan Post <nathan8...@gmail.com> Subject: Stus-List Raising the boom? All, Having sailed our 1981 C&C 34 a few times and while looking into having a dodger and bimini made for her I am considering raising the boom about 8 to 10 inches. Good idea or bad idea? Has anyone done this on their boat? We are only planning on cruising, not racing. The current full batten mainsail (which is probably a used replacement as the sail number on it doesn’t correspond to the boat) falls well short of the masthead when fully raised and the head is about 18 inches below of the top of the track so there is plenty of room up there without recutting it. At its current height the boom is about eye level for me when standing and my wife bumps her head if she is not careful - getting it above head height would be nice for comfort and would also allow the dodger to be a bit higher. I know raising the main higher will hurt performance a bit in windy conditions, but I am not sure how much it will degrade the handling or balance. It will also change the main sheet angle a bit and reduce the effectiveness of the cabin top traveler but with installing a new vang I don’t think that will be so important. However, I love how well balanced the boat is - she sails beautifully - so I don’t want to mess that up. Thoughts? Thanks, Nathan S/V Wisper 1981 C&C 34 Lynn, MA _______________________________________________ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray _______________________________________________ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
