As I wait for Northern Comfort to be delivered July 3rd, one of the 1st projects I could so is to begin repairing the boom. I was able to dismantle the boom, all rigging and blocks, and give it a good inspection.
This video is part of my series of sailboat restoration videos. It shows my DIY approach to stripping the paint down to bare aluminum, and starting to get a fresh set of epoxy primer on. I am trying to get this completed before shutting down for Canada Day weekend!
One of the things I did learn was that the stripper works better than sanding and adding in the pressure washer. Although paint stripper makes a mess, it is the best way to prepare for a final sand and prep for paint. Repairing the boom is not exactly an easy job. Baked on paint, years old, is very difficult get off.
The boom was pretty beat up cosmetically but wasn’t all that bad from a functionally perspective. I learned after sailing and using the lines that the lines inside the boom need to be a bit longer than they are so I will have to dismantle these at some point and try and double up the lengths. These lines are used to control the outhaul of the sail and the boom topping lift.
Some future thoughts
Also, I realized after using these lines, that they are too short. I couldn’t figure out how to attach them based on the existing hardware on the deck. Surely there needs to be a better way to run these lines along the deck. Running new liens is a future project as well as replacing these lines so they are longer and reach back into the cockpit.
I will have to run over to Maple Leaf Ropes and get some replacement lengths for these lines.
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