Is it possible to straighten a bent boom and not loose too much strength or cause a weak spot?
The bend isnt too severe this time and, as I cant afford a new boom at this point in time, I want to do what I can to save this one.
Has anyone any success and if so, how did they bend it back without kinking it?
If the bend is not too bad you would be better off leaving it.
When you try to straighten it you normally end up causing a weak spot which will break.
If the initial impact that bent the boom wasn't enough to break it, attempting to manipulate it back into shape probably will.
Sorry to rain on your parade, buy yourself a new arm if you are trying to save coin but breakage is most likely inevitable.
Pat, I usually leave the bent arm as is if it is not kinked. I always buy the same boom so from two new booms can usually make a third boom and then a spare arm by sleaving and joining the broken arms (3 usually can make 1) when the third boom breaks for a fourth boom. My last crash resulted in two broken boom arms and a bent tail piece so I am in for a new one.
Don't even try to straighten it........
Just do what I do and sail it as it is!!!!!!
Here's mine
if i remember precisely give it to Haggar and he'll reinvent the twisted boomor was it he
after a wonderfull cataloop
You can straighten booms by using 1 of 2 methods
1. Rig up with boom upside down and perform similar catapault on opposite tack.
2. (seriously) Gently bend in wheel arch of your van using the tyre as the fulcrum. I have done this twice successfully.1 boom still in use by mate I sold it to!
They are meant to be bent. You would have to rig your sail completely flat if you wanted to use a straight one.
I bent a boom at near right angles!
Sailed it back in with the sail flapping due to untying the outhaul (fear of battens breaking), anyways used a mates bull-bar to straighten and voila! near-straight boom.
I know what cold-forming aluminium tube does, so I'm not too confident it will last, luckily the bend was straight up, and not out or down, might give me some breathing space...
