Hey Guys,

I have a very old windsurfer and took it out the other day for a test run. I need to some how fit a new mast base, the one i have clicks in but is worn and as soon as you put pressure on the mast while it lying in the water it pops out .

But also can I add and newer type clamping boom head to my current boom, its an old tie on? I have an idea on how to fix the mast in the interim but the boom tie is so difficult. I'm trying to get out there but need to keep my costs to a min at the moment. Are the heads the same, boom dia all the same.? The angle in which the head join are they all a standard.?

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks

Bruce

Hi Bruce.

Where abouts are you based as the easiest way to find the best info is to take the board down to where everyone sails.

To do with the mast footing, you will need to post some pics to be able to understand the old design of the fittings.

And yes you can put a newer clamp on boom to an old board. not sure if the dimensions are the same or not for a clamp on to a tie on. If you search ebay there is a clamp on head that you can buy for about $25. just search windsurfing.

Good luck as the old boards are fun to ride. I just sold my 2 old 1980's board yesterday. Been riding them every weekend for the last few months learning how to sail. Post some Pics or PM them to me.

Hey Deejay,

Thanks for the response, I will post some picks this week, i will check out ebay.

Thanks.

Every tie on boom I have ever seen is a much narrower angle than clamp-ons. It is very unlikely you will get a modern head to fit.

Somebody may give you an old spare modern boom for nothing if it will get you out there

Select to expand quote

Mark _australia said...
Every tie on boom I have ever seen is a much narrower angle than clamp-ons. It is very unlikely you will get a modern head to fit.

Somebody may give you an old spare modern boom for nothing if it will get you out there

I agree, I was just looking at my old boom pics. You might be struggling to fit a new head on.

As mark said, someone may have an old clamp on laying around that you may be able to have.

Oh Ok,

I will have a look at my boom tonight and try to see what kind of angle it has. Otherwise i will look for a boom

Thanks Guys.

If you post your location someone may be able to lend or sell you one cheap.

I am in Craigieburn VIC. I have done a quick search, didn't know how expensive everything was.

Maybe i will need to try and learn to tie it up for now.

Thanks Guys.

yep can get very expensive. I was just made to sell my old gear before I got new/old stuff.

Keep an eye on gumtree and ebay as there is some good deals come up every now and then.

Hey Brooza

I might just have an unused boom that I can give you. Send me a PM and we might be able to arrange something.

Cheers

Mike

An issue you may have is the boom length on older triangular sails are extremely long. There won't be many clamp on booms besides super long ones for formula sails that would be long enough.

What length boom does your sail need?

Hi Moby,

Yeah the boom is quite long I haven't measured it but it def longer than 2m.\

Bruce

Years ago, back in 1989/90 we used to make our own booms. Just buy a couple of length of aluminum tubing cut to right length, making fixed length booms, bend it on a home made tube bender (3 bits of timber screwed together and cut into a nice curve). Fill tube with sand to stop it kinking.

For cheap you could try rebending the old boom you have, won't be great but it might work to get a new clamp on head fitted to it.

Cheers
Graeme

Hi Graeme,

That's a good idea I could take it up to the old man's place he has a pipe bender, that may help bending it with out it kinking.

Bruce

Brooza if you are talking about modifying the curve of your existing boom I would not try, it is tempered (and old) so it will snap.

Take Mike's free boom, and then find a sail to fit as those old triangle sails are really not so nice to use. An early to mid 1990's wavesail in 5-6m is worth nothing but considerably better to use.

Select to expand quote

Mark _australia said...
Brooza if you are talking about modifying the curve of your existing boom I would not try, it is tempered (and old) so it will snap.

Take Mike's free boom, and then find a sail to fit as those old triangle sails are really not so nice to use. An early to mid 1990's wavesail in 5-6m is worth nothing but considerably better to use.

yep get rid of the old sails and move up to a newer shape late 90's sails are good to use, take the offer of the boom, it will change the way you sail for the better.

Will i need a new mast etc too.

Thanks

Where am i likely to find those type of sails.?

Select to expand quote

Brooza said...
Will i need a new mast etc too.

Thanks

Your mast should be fine to use, I use an old one piece Mast fine. Bit of a pain to transport though. You can find good cheap sails on the Buy & Sell section on Seabreeze or on Ebay/ Gumtree all the time. Even if you went an early 2000's model sail it should be fine. Ask around you may get one from a local windsurfer for really cheap.

So I just search for sail of that yr and the size is just the length of my mast i assume. I have some photos of how my mast is fixed to the board.

I am hoping i can manage to fit a newer mast base and extension so i can find more things easier.

My mast is 4550 so should i be looking for 4.5m wave sails or shorter?

Thanks guys much appreciated

Bruce

hey mate,

When i was learning me and a mate got %90 of our gear from the tip shop. there is heaps of old kit there waiting to have its last days. I remember one sail delaminated so to give it an extra few weeks i covered one side in clear duct tape. (i was about 11 or 12 at that stage) but it worked.

we also used tie-on booms and fibreglass masts. tie on booms are really good once you get the hang of them.

the trick is to get the loop size slightly smaller then the mast and only have rope on either the top or the bottom of the head of the boom. once you get the loop size right it preety much stays the same forever. the trick is when you are feeding the sail on you feed the boom on with the sail and keep the tail of the boom near the tack of the sail(mast foot). then leave the boom down there while you do you're down haul. then the boom acts as a lever and as you lift it up towards the leech of the sail the loop gets tighter and the mast. be carefull you can get it so tight that the mast gets crushed.

we never had any slippage with our booms.

Geee they were the good days.

The sail size (i.e. 4.5) is the size of the sail in square meters.

So a 4.5 could rig on anything from perhaps 380cm to 450cm depending on age and style. This length is the "luff length".

Many 4.5m or smaller have an adjustable head, which means you can rig the sail on a mast that is longer. Basically a bit of the mast sticks out the top of the sail.

I had an old 90's 3.2m sail that I had a old tie on boom to fit.I think it may have been custom made but it would have been a similar angle to the other tie ons. I researched getting a clamp boom for it as it used to slip all the time and drive me nuts but I had the probalme that the boom head angle was different ( narrower? ) than modern ones and I gave up.I ended up buying a small modern boom and that fixed the problem.
The sail wasn't a triangular 80's one though.It was a fully battened raf (?) sail.
It would be best to try and get a cheap modern setup as it will be much more user friendly and not throw you around as much.

Thanks for all your help guys. I will see what i can get working.

Thanks