I have a couple of questions. First let me give a brief overview of my situation. I purchased and am restoring a 5.7m G-Cat. I am very very new to sailing and beyond green.
(1) I noticed that my boat does not have a boom. What are the pros/cons of having a boomless sailboat?

(2) My rear crossbar (terminology?) that my mast sits atop has an end cap on each end, both with 2 holes in them. It is obvious that these holes are present so some type of cord/cable can pass through them. However, nothing is through them right now. What the heck (if anything) goes through here?

I bought a book (Catamaran Sailing From Start to Finish)and it is good on beginner technique, but poor on rigging and part identification. Any and all help is appreciated.
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