It's such a small repair, I'm really tempted to give the local guy a shot! How badly can he screw this up? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Call Trey

Trey's a witch! He should be burned! Dissed my boat, gonna chop in thirds! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Yeah - take it down to your local metal bender. Anybody with a pipe roller should be able to straighten that easy enough. I have straightened quite a few and they are fine. The only problem is that the next time you fall into it, they do bend easier.

Putting it between two trees etc can also work but be *very* careful as they are very springy and are easily broken if you go that little bit too far.

Tiger Mike

LOL, get ready to purchase a new boom.

I'd get a new extrusion (at least as a backup) and then transfer all the fittings when the straightening exercise goes pearshaped!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Pete - I've been told that a muffler shop will do a better job of straightening that out. I have a similar issue and will be trying the guys that have tools first, trying the tree thing as a last resort. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Robi had mentioned the muffler shop. I think that will be my first stop.

Frankly, I thought I had a world record for bent not broken! Since there have been no comments, this must be fairly common. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Pete, if that's your boom I saw you do that on Saturday.

Great! What the hell happened!? One minute I'm going through (what I thought) was a controlled jibe, next minute the bitch is trying to drown me! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I'd probably avoid a muffler shop unless it has pipe rollers (as opposed to a bender). Your curve is over a long area and a pipe bender will only straighten it in a localized section giving a less than perfect result. With a roller you would be hard pressed to tell that it had ever been bent in the first place.

Tiger Mike

Thanks Mike.

Go get a carbon one, they dont bend so easy when you fall on them.

I've got 3 booms that look like that. I've never been able to get it straight. Less bent, but not straight.

Carbon will work.

But the best solution is a 50 x 1.6 mm alu tube. Same weight as the boom Tikipete has bend but much stiffer and thus much more bend resistant. I know as I've stood on it several times during a capsize. This tube section is also the one that is used for centre-sheeting setups. The 40x2 mm tubes are just too easily bended.

So Tikipete. 50x1.6 mm and your issues will be solved. Cost ? Well I payed 30 Euro's for a tube like that. Transferring the fittings is not a big task. That is unless you have 2 left hands.

If they ask then you can make do with an UN-anodised tube. It will hold up very well to salt water. The only that will happen is that the shine will be lost, so it'll go to mat grey colour. Apart from that nothing happens. Again I know as my tubes are on there un-anodised for 3 years and counting. I got a beach side boat parking so the tubes are in salt saturated air anf full force UV sunlight for 6 months a year.

Wouter

I think the bending may be a good thing. Rather a bent boom than a broken rib.

Took the words out of my mouth.

This is not a realistic difference between both booms. When hit hard enough both will bruse your ribs. When not hit hard enough neither one of them will. Both flex under load, mind you ! The only real difference is that one boom does so by taking a permanent bend while the other doesn't.

The difference in stiffness is 50% so if your old boom flexes in the middle by some 6 inches (not unreasonable if your full weight is on it) then the 50x1.6 will still flex by 4 inches. Also the mainsheet will give way a little when it is loaded up heavily sideways. In short both booms will show considerable sideways movement when hit sideways. When I stand on it (85 kg) then the boom feels rather springy, certainly not firm enough to easily break ribs or whatever.

Wouter

Tback proposed buying a 20' length of alu tubing, cutting it into blanks and keeping a few on hand. I'll look at that option some more and try to find a muffler shop with pipe rollers.

Thanks all,

Is there a story here? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Nothing exciting - in my first race on the new boat (Daytona Beach to Ponce Inlet), one of the spin bridles let go, resulting in a bend, but not a break (whew!). I was able to sail in through surf (light air), re-tie the bridle, and finish the race. Matt "Blade" McDonald looked at it after the race and pronounced it a good spare after straightening. Useable, but not pretty... and I'm vain. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />