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Streamlined boom head needs maintenance
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 4:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For those concerned about losing necessary parts of their gear, there is little chance of that if your derigging and storing processes are sound. When I detach my boom from the mast, as part of the process I put the shim inside the boom head, attach the line and close the clamping lever. It will never get lost or fall out, because it's trapped in place. When I grab the boom, the shim is alway there.

Similarly with my mast extensions, I've never lost the pins or the collars on any of my extensions because I always tightly wrap the line around the extension at the collar and tie it off as part of the derigging process.

So much about being prepared in doing anything is dependent on organization and a reliance on sound practices.
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boardsurfr



Joined: 23 Aug 2001
Posts: 1266

PostPosted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 7:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

swchandler wrote:
It is important to note that the MS shim is notably longer than other shims being manufactured

Comparing the shims from 2013 Maui Sails and Chinook booms, the Maui shim is only about 6 mm (1/4 inch) longer. The bigger difference is that the Maui shim goes around the mast, while the Chinook shim stays in the boom head. These "half shims" are easier to rig and derig. They seem are quite common on booms sold in the past 4 years (Naish and Aeron also use them, probably others, too).

swchandler wrote:
Lastly, with regard to the weight of the MS shim, the fact that it's larger does make it weigh a bit more. However, the extra weight is insignificant. I mean, what's the actual weight difference?

It weighs about 2 ounces more (5 ounces vs. 3). That difference is a bit smaller than I had though. Putting booms into the van from one end, the Maui boom always seem head-heavy compared to other booms. The head does have more material than other heads, so the rest of the head probably contributes.

I weighed three carbon booms from the last 2 years we have in the van:
Chinook 135-185: 1500 g
Maui Sails 140-200: 1800 g
Aeron Slim 150-200: 1600 g
The Maui Sails boom was quite a bit heavier than the others; it's almost the same as my Chinook 160-226 boom.

swchandler wrote:
Also, the shim adds weight to the mast and not the boom.

The weight is at the boom head. Perhaps no big deal when you're racing, but it's extra swing weight when you duck. If you're doing duck tacks etc., the extra weight near the front makes things harder.

swchandler wrote:
By using anything other than a 100% carbon mast, you're adding far more weight to your overall rig. Moreover, by using an RDM versus an SDM, the extra weight of the former is significant.

You are generalizing a bit too much here. I'm quite comfortable using a 100% RDM mast - the used Gaastra I bought 3 years ago has held up through several hundred sessions so far. I'd be much more skeptical about a 100% SDM mast, which are well known to break easily. So when I needed a 430 SDM for a race sail, I got a Maui Sails 75% mast. The weights I measured:
Gaastra 100% RDM: 1540 g
Maui Sails 75% SDM: 1940 g

So in this case, the RDM is lighter than the SDM. That's not always true - a 90% Chinook 400 RDM weighed in a bit heavier than both 430 masts.

Another rather big difference we saw between Chinook and Maui Sails was in customer service. When my wife needed new clamps for her Maui boom, it took several weeks and many emails to get an answer. When I needed replacement parts from Chinook, I got an immediate response to a single email, and received the parts within a few days in the mail. Maui Sails wanted money for their parts, Chinook did not. Both of these seem to be pretty typical experiences for the two companies.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

boardsurfr wrote:
Comparing the shims from 2013 Maui Sails and Chinook booms, the Maui shim is only about 6 mm (1/4 inch) longer. The bigger difference is that the Maui shim goes around the mast, while the Chinook shim stays in the boom head.

Usually. I lost two Chinook shims before realizing that they sometimes stay on the mast when derigging and get left/lost in the derigging and stowing process. I now make sure every time to latch the boom head around the shim after removing the boom from the mast. I often have to retrieve the shim from the mast and fasten it back into the boom first. I will be McGyuvering some sort of retention device over the winter.


Last edited by isobars on Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:43 pm; edited 1 time in total
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There will be differences between apples and oranges. However, using masts as an example, if you compare a single manufacturer's SDMs and RDMs, the SDMs will be lighter. Moreover, contrasting difference carbon contents in their SDMs or RDMs, the higher carbon percentage masts will be lighter overall.

As I see it, comparing different brands is a while different ball of wax. Weight is only a partial factor to consider. Optimally, when it come to warrantees and customer service, one hopes it's never really a part of the picture. Yet, life isn't always perfect. I did have a warrantee issue with my initial Maui Sails boom, but I can say that Phil McGain took care of the problem in a timely fashion at no cost to me. If I was to offer a criticism, the replacement clips I had to buy some years later were a bit expensive at $40 a set.
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dvCali



Joined: 23 Aug 2007
Posts: 1314

PostPosted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

kevinkan wrote:
The new head is awesome and a big improvement from the older strap system. I think they Dyneema rope has a bit more stretch than the old straps, and so the head actually has more tolerance for staying tight on the mast... it just doesn't have to be adjusted perfectly to start tight and stay tight.

Second the new Streamlined head. I just bought one from Kevin and used it on my 430 and 460 RDM and 6.6-8.0 sails. Much improved from the previous version that gave a great connection to the boom but indeed required some frustrating trail and error to set up right and was very sensitive to even small differences in mast diameter. This one takes a second to adjust and it feels rock solid.
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capetonian



Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 1196
Location: Florida

PostPosted: Thu Nov 27, 2014 10:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wind has been blowing a lot so far this November so I've used the new boom head about 10 times now. It is superb, fixes everything that was irritating about the old Streamlined head. I've always preferred the shape of the Streamlined boom to the Maui Sails boom while sailing, but often put the Maui Sails boom in my car as every mast I have is a slightly different diameter. Now I only put the Streamlined boom in my car.
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