Boom Gallows reinforcement

[raghaulerII]

Hello.  First post so here goes. I live in central Michigan and each sail calls for a 100 mile minimum trip (one way) to one of the Great Lakes.  I have made several changes to my 2011 Horizon and trailer to make hauling, loading and cleaning easier.  When it's sailing season in Michigan it's bug season.  The boom gallow is bug covered after every trip.  I put several coats of varnish on the teak but the bugs were always a chore to remove.  Last winter I put 1/8" aluminum on both sides of the gallow.  It also serves as a reinforcement for the day I make a hard mast landing.  Pics also show the pieces I made to join the rail tubing to the gallows tubing. 

[Bob23]

Pretty nice. Looks like you're a machinist. Not knowing too much about the Horizon cat, is that the stock arrangement for the mainsheet?
Bob23

[Craig]

Not Standard sheeting arrangement. Good idea to tie the gallows to the rails for added strength with that set-up. Don't think the gallows mounts are engineered for the added stress of the sheets especially considering the leverage of mounting the blocks that high. An accidental jibe could do some serious damage W/O the reinforcement and long term stress could cause crazing/cracking of the FG. That being said having the blocks up away from the cockpit is interesting. Aluminum piece on gallows is a great idea! A dropped mast can and has broken more than one Suncat/Horizon Cat gallows!

[raghaulerII]

37 years a toolmaker.  2 years sailing which means I have a lot to learn. Boat was a year old when I bought it and was set up as you see it.  I have not been able to find a good picture of what the traditional setup should be.  What I have is solid as a rock with the reinforcement I put between the tubes.  I have 1/4" aluminum plate as large as every position will allow under every bolted item on the boat with 5200 between the plates and the glass.

[Bob23]

Well, your work experience shows in the workmanship on your boat. Very good job- seems like you and I share the same "a bit of overkill is good" philosophy.
Has this sheeting arrangement ever been "tested" with an accidental gybe?
Bob23

[raghaulerII]

I climbed inside to check out how the original hardware was screwed to the boat now that I know why they are there. Each side has two screws sticking thru the fiberglass. The boom gallows now have 4"x4" X1/4" aluminum plates to which they are thru bolted.  Same for the safety line stanchions shown in the picture. Then they are bridged by the billet pieces pictured. The sheets attach 4" above that connection and are extremely rigid. Also the gallows have two forward facing rods that came screwed to the boat but are now bolted with backer plates. Gybes have not been an issue

[capt_nemo]

raghaulerII,

Very nice job of reinforcing the gallows pole to stanchion tubing connection with billet pieces.With the mainsheet blocks mounted as they are, such reinforcement was absolutely necessary to help carry the normal loads expected.

I do like the way your main sheet rig is repositioned (up off the cockpit coaming) to allow proper function and yet provide room for storing what looks like a covered Bimini.

However, as was already mentioned, I too am a little concerned about the ultimate RIGIDITY of the mainsheet location UP on the gallows pole with respect to the joint reinforcement when subjected to a STRONG DYNAMIC IMPACT LOAD such as would be experienced in an uncontrolled jibe. I'm not saying that anything might BREAK, but do believe that there is a chance of a gallows pole bending out of shape ABOVE the joint. Recommend you consider lowering the mainsheet blocks down 4" to a position resting on top of your billet pieces. This would bring athwartships sheet loads closer to the horizontal reinforcement of the stanchions without sacrificing anything in the performance of the mainsheet rig.
Just an Engineer's two cents' worth.

capt_nemo
Sun Cat "Frisky"