Love the name of your boat. There is a town in the Keys with that name, BTW.

What's your boom doing so low? Check the mast and look for an old, faded-
out black line. This should be where the boom is located. Chances are
somebody lowered the boom and increased the mainsail size. There is no
reason on that 32-footer why the boom is sweeping the cockpit at less
than head height.

To make things safer for yourself either raise the boom to specs or
install a sit-under bimini which makes it impossible for you to get
your head smacked by the boom. You may even have the wrong
mainsail on that boat. Check the specs on the original and measure
yours against it. It could be the leech is longer which some racers
do to lower the end of the boom.

Check out my website for a few pictures of a bimini which is made
to sit under. However, even with the bimini laid down the boom is high
enough not to smack someone upside the head. If you have a boat with
such obvious dangers it is smart to get rid of them one way or the
other before they do you in.

Listen to a man with impeccable credentials and years of experience.

Capt. Neal
USCG Master, Near Shore, 25GT also
Operator Uninspected Passenger Vessels, Near Shore
http://captneal.homestead.com/index.html



wrote in message ...

Capt. Neal® writes:

Poor fellow! The man lost his life primarily because
of poor design by the naval architect.

Those C&Cs are a death trap in more than one way it seems.

But, to design a cruising boat with a boom so low that it
can smack you up side the head is criminal. I should think
a nice little lawsuit would straighten out C&C and the
negligent designer.

You won't find a Wm. Tripp Jr. designed cruiser with such
flaws.

CN

R.



Actually, you will.

I have a Columbia 32, designed by none other than William Tripp Jr,
and the boom sweeps over the cockpit definitely below head-height. At
least if I have the 'flattening reef' in the main out (I think there
is a fancier name for it but I forgot it). If I have inexperienced
crew, I sometimes put the flattening reef in even in light airs so
that the boom is a half-foot higher and less dangerous.

--Ernst

Columbia 32 #25 'Tavernier'