Forums, Mast, Rigging and Sails, Kemp/Selden Boom outhaul

DaleMoon at 14/09/2011 12:49:17
I have a Kemp boom c 1986 with 2 internal reef lines and an outhaul.
The outhaul has a wire strop which attaches to a car running in the foot track, over a sheave in the aft end of the boom. Inside the boom it attaches to a rope which leads through the forward end of the boom. Recently I noticed that the wire is fraying and needs replacement.

I was wondering if I could replace this wire strop/rope combination with simply a rope outhaul? What is the benefit of the wire?
The only reason I can think of for this arrangment is that the tail of an eye splice in the end of the rope might reach and jam in the sheave in the aft end of the boom?

Also – all the articles I have looked at suggest that normally there is a 2:1 or 3:1 purchase arrangement inside the boom – the current arrangement has no purchase advantage, simply the wire/rope led through the boom.

Does anyone have any experience of this? Any comments would be gratefully received.

Thanks, Pete
DALE MOON

George Isted at 14/09/2011 16:30:40
Hi Pete, I believe the older Kemp booms did not have an internal purchase arrangement while the new Selden boom certainly does. The new Selden boom uses a wire rope that goes inside the boom end fitting, as a result the sheave is much smaller than the reefing line sheaves, it would have to be replaced with similar in my case. Suggest you check the sheave size on your Kemp boom before making a decision. If you go for rope dynema/spectra is the answer.

DaleMoon at 14/09/2011 18:52:01
Hi George

The outhaul sheave is for wire (different to the reefing sheaves). I just don’t understand why the outhaul should be made up of a wire strop attached to a rope tail!
If it’s possible to fit an eye splice into the space, I’ll replace with all rope and replace the sheave with a rope sheave.
Thanks.

Pete Fowler
Dale Moon