Since I started using carbon booms, I just can't go back to flexy ali. Sorry, it just doesn't feel right. But on the other hand, they don't make carbon booms like they used to and $1000+ is too much for me to risk on a hard landing --> breakage.

So when I broke my 2nd boom in two weeks (one carbon, one ali), the $ decided it for me and I got another ali.

The first thing I noticed when i unwrapped it was that the arms are stiff but the back end is flexible and above medium extension the flex was intolerable.

Seeing as it always seems to be the arms that break, I have a few good back ends lying around so I decided to experiment with aluminium arms / carbon back end hybrid. I had to slightly increase the diameter of the back end to fit into the aluminium arms without any slop. For my prototype I went with a few layers of duct tape (I wonder what I could use for a more long term solution?).

I tested the concept yesterday on my biggest sail (5.8m) which requires almost full extension. It was awesome! After a season on a full ali boom it felt like a different sail. I realised that the flex in the full ali boom was opening up my leech and wasting the power of the sail. The stiffer hybrid fixed this and I got planing in less wind than ever before!

If you've broken your carbon boom and can't bear to fork out for another one, I recommend the DIY hybrid!

Isnt the Neil Pryde X6 a hybrid?!

Yep sflack,
The X6 has been around for 4-5 seasons now.
Reduced diameter Monocoque Aluminium Boom arms with carbon back end. No corrosion where the arms meet the head. There are no bolts there.

OceanBlue64 said...

Not having known anything but an aluminium boom, do the carbon booms make all that much difference?

Depends on your level of ability and feel. I have a carbon boom that extends up to 2.1 meters. Its not big enough for my bigger sails so bought a aluminium one that extends to 2.45 meters. For me I can't really tell the difference that much as the aluminium one feels okay. However I do think the carbon boom is lighter and generally is firmer. Probably on bigger sails having a carbon makes more of a difference.

As with most things in life, I have my booms the wrong way round, with a smaller carbon boom and a bigger aluminium boom.

The new Aeron makes up the front of my hybrid. True the arms are awesome stiff, but the tail is too flexy for my liking.

To increase the diameter of the back end, you could use a braided cloth, it is like carbon or glass braided into a continuous tube. This is better then wrapping with a cloth around something as it is smooth and no joins means stronger. When you pull it, it decreases in diameter so it is easy to slip it over you back end tubes, wet it out and pull it to laminate it on.
If u roughed the surface and laminated glass braid on with an epoxy, you could easily increase the dia of the carbon end tube. With glass you could see thru it to drill your holes thru in the same place...

Mark _australia said...

To increase the diameter of the back end, you could use a braided cloth..

Any idea where I can get this from?

Leech said...

Mark _australia said...

To increase the diameter of the back end, you could use a braided cloth..

Any idea where I can get this from?

Fibreglass and Resin sales in Kew St Welshpool.

The will have carbon in the right size but dunno about glass braid.

You mentioned twist lock though? Maybe no good unless you have a rear end with holes

Yeah no worries then. Rough it up with about 100grade, rub down with some metho or acetone, then a glass braid with West 105 / 206 combo epoxy, redrill holes and done!

About 1-2mm? It is hard to say as the braid gets thinner as you stretch it longer.... if too thick though, it would be a bugger to sand it down evenly all along its length