Boom height wrt boom gallows

[Russ L]

Originally Posted by memelet

My boat (Passport 42)
When main in up there is significant clearance between the boom and the gallows:
So I plan on lowering the gooseneck brack down to just below the winches visible in the picture.
Are there any downsides to lowering the boom? Will there be times when I need a lot of clearance between the boom and gallows?

thanks!
-barry

Hi Barry,
I like the boom to be as low as practical, guest head room considered.
Better sailing aside, much easier to stow the main right after that great sailing day and handle on the bad days.
You need less than a few inches of clearance with the full main cranked down as tight as you dare, as normally the sheet is loaded less than that.
CAVEAT! A proper main will have the reef points cut to ensure the clew is higher than normal, when reefed.

Cheers, Russ