When I put load on the boom - into the harness lines - the boom creaks.

Does that mean?

1) It is about to break and I need to retire it?
2) It needs a grease and oil change?
3) My joints are creaking that much that I think it is the boom?
4) Ignore the creaks and keep using it?

Would that be a NP X6 boom? If so, I am experiencing the same thing. Interested what responses this thread gets.

Be careful, if it is one of the budget ally booms with seperate arms that normally means the ally tubing going through the moulded head has cracked inside the plastic moulding.

One of our team members had a creaking boom so we put some weight on either side of the head and it came apart in two pieces.

If it's a carbon HPL then you may need to re-glue it at the joins.
That fixed mine.

NP X3 alloy boom- creaks a little.
Aluminium 1 peice "U" shape- with I guess (hope) plastic overmoulded on top of the ally.

As you can see it has cracks in the plastic - been like that for about 1.5years but hasnt broke - i'm not a radical sailor though. I have another NP X6 - has the same cracks.

I run the boom about 1/3 of the way up in the cutout - think the crack might be due to an articulation angle thing. Only have it extended up to 1/2 out.

Hope it doesn't break.

I recently threw a paycheck at a new severne carbon boom- its a class act, as you would expect. But it sounds like a Geiger counter in a nuclear war.. the relentless noise helps me get 'never gonna give you up' outta my head when sailing.

Use it for tomato stakes or something.That things gunna cost you a big swim.I broke 2 like that with the same cracks.I use another brand now.....

So Stribo - It was a NP?

Had an X3 with exact same cracks and the ally tubing finally broke inside the plastic section with no warning. Yes it did creak before hand. If you are going to push your luck sail close to shore.

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stribo said...

Use it for tomato stakes or something.That things gunna cost you a big swim.I broke 2 like that with the same cracks.I use another brand now.....

sell it on the seabreese forums so someone else can take the long swim back rofl

I would not chance it. Do a Stribo

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Mark _australia said...

I would not chance it. Do a Stribo

This from an avid NP supporter?

NPs creak...period! My X6 has been doing it since near-new, for a couple of years now, and no issues (yet). Check to see if it's the boom, or contact on the mast? The swivel in the head can cause some noise, but unless there's visual damage, or it's past its use-by-date, there shouldn't be a major prob. In saying this, I've broken 2 X3s, with 1 replaced by warranty (added a few bucks to get X6 - current boom), and they've all creaked. I won't use an X3 boom again, but mainly because I'm a heavy sailor, and after breaking 2, the trust is gone.

Go and buy a Prolimit immediately.

I buy a $259 boom every two years and then retire them. I give my kit a fair beating, but so far no damage done. The only reason I retire them is because at that point I figure they don't owe me anything and I'd rather avoid a long swim home.

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Old Salty said...

When I put load on the boom - into the harness lines - the boom creaks.

Does that mean?

1) It is about to break and I need to retire it?
2) It needs a grease and oil change?
3) My joints are creaking that much that I think it is the boom?
4) Ignore the creaks and keep using it?

Sure its just not your joints???

My x6 creaks a bit too and its also new. Seems to creak less if you tighten it more when clamping to the boom, but that might be my imagination.

Also - the small nut in the picture above worked its way off its bolt. Happened when I was out but fortunately only on the lake. Seems like every time you clamp/unclamp it it can get a bit loser.

Just shows you should double check gear before going out even when its brand new!

It happened to me last week, last Tuesday I sailed lake macquarie in 25 knot SE and could hear my boom creaking as I was sailing along and didnt think to much of it until I seen a shark, 8-9 ft bull shark swimming along the surface.
Anyway I sailed in, couldn't find anything wrong with boom, packed up and went home. Boom only 18 months old.
Sailed 2 days later, near same spot, sailing along and happened to notice that boom was sitting at a funny angle in head, pop, out she came, and guess what, it was the same tack side for me to get back to were I came from. 2 km back to were I took off from, I wasn't swimming back or treading water for 10 minutes while I tried to change the booms good side over so I could sail back after what I had seen 2 days before.
Luckly there was a young bloke fishing in a boat nearby who towed me back in.

So if think its on its way out, it probably is.

Much like why roller coaster affectionados like wooden roller coasters over steel ones. Adds to the rush, not knowing whether or not it is going to hang together at the critical moment

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Old Salty said...

When I put load on the boom - into the harness lines - the boom creaks.

Does that mean?

1) It is about to break and I need to retire it?
2) It needs a grease and oil change?
3) My joints are creaking that much that I think it is the boom?
4) Ignore the creaks and keep using it?

Sure it's not haunted?????