Boom Coming Off Gooseneck

Defiance

Defiance

New Member
I was setting up the boat in the yard to become familiar with the rigging, I got a big surprise.
The mast was set with the sail up, the boom on the gooseneck with outhaul somewhat tight, the cunningham tight, and the boom vang somewhat tight. The mainsheet was not connected to the boom. There was a slight, flukey breeze. All seemed fine as I tried to learn more about the rigging, when the wind shifted, the sail went to 90 degrees, and the boom came off the gooseneck and fell to the deck. What did I do wrong to let this happen? I surely don't want this to happen while on the water.
 
The outhaul forces the boom onto the gooseneck fitting on a 'classic' rigged Laser. The boom vang also provides pressure here to keep it all together. Your stuff was just too loose.

If you have the fancy race rigging, it was too loose as well, but to a higher degree of looseness... (c:
 
make sure you're using a clew tie down, the vang might be a little bit loose at its max off position, the vang also helps keep the boom attached, I like to tape around the vang key with rigging tape as well because I've had the vang detach and boom fall off while sailing down wind in a race, its tough to get back on especially if there are decent size waves, you might have to capsize to get it re-attached

if the goosneck insert is warn out it will make it easier for the boom to come off, so you might want to either replace the plastic insert or use a piece of rigging tape to snug it up
 
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