Mast and Boom Blueprinting help
 

Hi All,

After much discussion with the Admiral... we're going to install a mast and boom on the 36' Eagle. I'll get it custome made, however I need dimensions and sizes. If anyone out there has a 36 footer and wants to measure their mast and boom for me (all dimmensions), I'd be most grateful! Thanks. Got to get something going, not going to attempt cruising here in the PNW without radar. (I've got the radar... just no pole). :blush:

Dave

Here's what you asked for.... 1980 36' Albin DC. The series of 3 dots on mast are the location of radar supports ....

for those of us driving our armchairs, if you were to change something, what would it be? Boom length, mast height, wood/aluminum/fiberglass spars?

Cheers

It isn't the length of your boat that matters in the planning of your mast and boom. Most important is the beam at the place where you will do the lifting. Your boom must reach out to the centre of whatever you will be lifting. Only you can find that length.
Your mast should be tall enough so that the block from which the line that lifts the end of the boom runs, will be at or above the end of your boom when fully raised. Where you place the base of the mast and how high you want the boom off of that deck will determine its height. You may want stays, for when there is a load on the mast and boom, or you may prefer no stays, so as to get through to your flybridge without a decapitation hazard.
To achieve no stays, the solution that I used was to place the base of the mast on the lower deck and use a fastening at the edge of the upper deck with a pin (so that I can lower the mast when in my shelter). With Aluminum irrigation pipe, 3" diameter, my mast has now been in place for over 20 yrs and has lifted my Sabot (feather light, so not a challenge) and my Laser without pause. The Laser leaked, so was probably over 300# at its heaviest. For such a heavy load, with the strain on the tackle obvious, I put a temporary stay from the spreaders to the fwd part of the FB, on the side opposite the lift. Otherwise, my mast is unstayed. The original design, with the base of the mast on the upper deck, put a stay across the steps up to the FB, so was itself a hazard and cried out to be changed.
I carry Radar, fwd facing white, all around white, deck floods and flag halyards.

To add to what Keith noted, the mast design needs to be dependant on what you want to use it for. You'll need to be more specific before anyone can suggest a design for what you need.


If you only want to mount your radar, a boom and stays aren't necessary. If you want to pick up a heavy dinghy and outboard from the water, the design will require much more thought.