Missing one side of the tack mount on DSII gooseneck

[hectoretc]

Greetings all,
While scrutinizing my boom gooseneck today to answer the 90 degree flex question (a different post), I noticed one of the cast pieces that support the tack pin was broken off. I have only put my used sail on one to test fit it, and I can't honestly say if it was there a month ago or not, but it's not there now.


Starting from the premise that you definitely want one on each side, and thinking that this is something that can't likely be garage repaired, I probably need to buy a new gooseneck assembly. (rats! yet another budget buster...) I went to Dwyer Mast and of course they have 25 different sized booms to select from before you can pick your hardware. D&R offers only one, so I assume that is the correct one (1.75 x 2.75) can anyone confirm that? (didn't think to measure at the boat).

D&R also sells just the boom casting (which is the part I need) and therefore I assume it's "possible" to de-construct the existing one and save the spring & gooseneck part for reuse?

Has anyone ever disassembled the gooseneck end of a boom?
Just looking for some supporting commentary (piece of cake, you could do it in your sleep, no problem! sorts of things) before I attack it. I guess the best bet is to take it apart first, and then if successful, just order the casting. If it falls apart in 100 pcs. then order the whole head (I've got the whole winter... it's not like I'm in a hurry). And now, looking at the pictures, of course it's a rivet. Any suggestions on best way to drill out a rivet? I'm sure I've done it before, but I think they've always been pop-rivet's... and I can't think of I time I've done it while trying to retain the facing that the rivet is through. Is it better to try to grind off the head, or drill it out? Any opinion is better than the one I have right now. I suppose the worst that happens is I end up shortening the boom by 1/2" if I have to cut the end off.

Again, I'd be happy to hear from anyone with any experiences in this segment of the DSII reconstruction process.

[GreenLake]

When you order a replacement fitting, get one with a reef hook.

(I think I did take mine apart once, I was drilling for an eye for a reefline and had to make sure that I wasn't goint to drill into anything critical. - Don't remember the details, but with some experience I think I'd prefer a reef hook over the setup that I ended up with - hence the recommendation at the start).

[hectoretc]

When you order a replacement fitting, get one with a reef hook.

(I think I did take mine apart once, I was drilling for an eye for a reefline and had to make sure that I wasn't goint to drill into anything critical. - Don't remember the details, but with some experience I think I'd prefer a reef hook over the setup that I ended up with - hence the recommendation at the start).

Thanks... I'll add that note to my shopping list.

[Matt Arian]

Drilling out solid rivets is pretty close to the same as a blind rivet (pop rivet). Center punch the center of the head of the rivet, this will prevent your drill bit from "walking". Depending on the rivet diameter, find a drill one size larger (i.e. 1/8" rivet shank use a 0.120 or #31 twist drill bit, 3/16" rivet dia. use a 0.185 or a #13, etc.) and drill through the head just into the top of the rivet shank. Using a chisel or rolling punch, pop the head of the rivet off of the shank, then use a small rolling punch and hammer to gently tap the rest of the rivet shank through whatever body it was in. It's easiest to mount whatever your working on to a vise if it's small, or just make sure it's rigid if you can't take it off.

[TIM WEBB]

This very repair was one of the first that The Red Witch got when she got me, and as I recall it was fairly painless. Once you have the rivets out, the thing comes right off, and then it's a simple matter of removing the "guts" of the spring-loaded roller furling mechanism and placing them into your new casting. I think it's just a cotter pin in there ...

Oh, and yes, it's for the Dwyer DM-275 boom, 1.75" x 2.75".

[hectoretc]

You guys were dead on... piece of cake, walk in the park, could do it in my sleep, and what ever other supporting comments I'd asked for.
Got it apart, pulled the cotter pin, now just to order the replacement piece (with the reef hook... thanks GL)

eh... I know what reefing is... (of course I've never done it)... what's a reef hook?

Thanks again all...

[ChrisB]

A reef hook is used with jiffy/slab reefing to secure the reef cringle on the luff of the main to the forward end of the boom. A turning block and a line is used to pull the corresponding cringle on the leech of the mainsail down to the aft end of the boom. DR Marine sells one {Gooseneck Tack Bracket w/ Reef Hook} but I'm not sure how well this fits to the standard, roller reefing gooseneck. Has anyone on the forum purchased this item and how well did it work with the factory gooseneck?

[GreenLake]

You wouldn't use it with the roller-reefing feature. I don't have the hook, just two reeflines fore and aft and from that I know that slab reefing does work with the standard gooseneck. However, I feel that having a hook instead of a line a the forward end would have been the better choice (faster to set the reef and less fiddly).

If you read back in the forum, this has been discussed at earlier points

[TIM WEBB]

When The Red Witch first got me, I tried the roller reefing once, and realized it was LAME!

Installed the jiffy reefing, but found that the forward reef line was a PITA. So I bought one of the tack pin/reef hook thingamajigs from D&R, but it was one of the ones from the bad lot they got, with the hook welded on pointing in the wrong direction. Plus, there was no really good way to attach it to the existing gooseneck ...

So, I did this:



Works great! Click on the image to see the caption. If anybody wants one, I'd be happy to make one for ya. It's attached with #10 SS self-tappers, right behind the forward boom cap flange ...

[ChrisB]

Tim,

No argument here on roller reefing. Decades ago, my dad had roller reefing on his Morgan 30. I can attest that it works no better on a larger boat than on the DS. When he got a new mainsail with jiffy reefing, life was much better.

You answered my question on the tack fitting sold by D&R; "there was no really good way to attach it to the existing gooseneck". That's exactly what I was afraid of. I think I will go with the reef hook separate from the gooseneck like your solution.

[hectoretc]

I've not been in the water, so I certainly have not yet tried roller reefing, but since my current sail has reefing points, and based on the comments in other postings, I can't imagine I will use the roller feature either.
However a side benefit from the roller reefing gooseneck (this posted in another thread as well) is that you could pull out the boom, rotate it 90 degress and then the gooseneck appears that it will allow nearly a 90 degree flex on the mast/boom joint.

This could allow (I've not tried this either) for use with a double offset crutch to rotate the boom, set it in a lower crutch catch and then using a tabernacle, lower the mast to a higher crutch point leaving the boom and sail attached.
Again, I've certainly not tried this, but in my minds eye I could see it working.

[jdoorly]

Scott, I removed the horizontal clevis from the goosneck, replaced it with a 1/4-20 nut & bolt to hold a tack hook to make a reef hook. I guess I could add another one on the other side for the second reef but so far I'm just re-using the same tack hook (not a lot of experience yet with the second reef point). Cut up an old piece of bicycle tube in a creative way to make a keeper.

The tack hook is from West, $7:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=14252&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=10102&subdeptNum=10180&classNum=10185

[Skippa]

I did purchase the reef hook assembly from DR. It was a bit of a challenge to install on the gooseneck, As I recall it was just a matter of not a lot of room to work with. Totally satisfied with the results. I rigged it much like the reefing lines were rigged on my first boat (Mariner) and a larger boat. Eye strap on the port side near the end of the boom, Reefing line attached to that and run up thru the reefing cringle and down the starboard side to a horizontal cheek block and then forward to midboom and a cleat. I can reef under way in about a minute. Maybe thats why it's called "Jiffy Reefing"
Had boom roller reefing on my Westerly and learned real quickly which method I preffered.
Kevin

[Breakin Wind]

When The Red Witch first got me, I tried the roller reefing once, and realized it was LAME!

Installed the jiffy reefing, but found that the forward reef line was a PITA. So I bought one of the tack pin/reef hook thingamajigs from D&R, but it was one of the ones from the bad lot they got, with the hook welded on pointing in the wrong direction. Plus, there was no really good way to attach it to the existing gooseneck ...

So, I did this:



Works great! Click on the image to see the caption. If anybody wants one, I'd be happy to make one for ya. It's attached with #10 SS self-tappers, right behind the forward boom cap flange ...

Hi Tim,

Had to do some surgery to get your photo back into the post as a reference, but I figured it out. Haven't been so lucky on my own posts, but now I think I get it.

Back to the point, regarding your reef hook in this photo. Just so I understand, is this one that you bought and modified, or was this something you made out of raw materials?

[Alan]

I have the Dwyer roller reefing boom. I bought the D&R tack bracket/hook and ended up doing the same thing as Jay - a 1/4-20 bolt. It was easy enough to install, but the hook ended up being on the starboard side because the angle of the hook, in relation to its bracket, placed it too close to the tack fitting on the boom when placed to port. That's the opposite of what shows in the photo on the D&R website. I vaguely remember reading in another post that a run of the brackets was made that way.