DaySailer.org Forum

During an inspection of my boat, I found that the fastener that holds the gooseneck at the tack end of the boom is loose, so the entire cap piece is sloppy. I tried to remove it, but found the allen head was stripped (this looks to be just a bolt throught the mast with an allen fastener on the other side).

I will drill out the ruined bolt, but looking on dr marine I can't find the appropriate replacement. Any suggestions? Or do I just go to the hardware store and get a stainless steel fastener that fits?

Thanks.

--john

The cap end on my boom is held by rivets, so yours must be a different design.. Always a good idea to remind people of year and model of your boat even if you've just mentioned it in another thread.

When getting bolts from the hardware store, the SS alloy should be "316", not "304", esp. if you get anywhere near saltwater. We have a few hardware stores here that understand the marine market, so that makes it easier. However, just in general there are a number of repairs that you can make where using a SS bolt from the store, rather than something ordered specially, would do the trick.

Don't know your gooseneck design, so it's not easy giving specific advice.

Thanks. I'm in Nebraska, so if my boat sees saltwater something has gone horribly wrong.

This may be a pressed on fastener, but it is not a rivet as I would define one. There is (was) definitely an allen head in it.

--john

PS I have my boat model and year in the sig line at the bottom, but I understand that would be seen after someone read the message so I will start putting it up top.

Thanks.

My 76 DS2 boom is original to the boat and has rivets on both ends. Perhaps the gooseneck was a replacement on your boom by the previous owner, that may be why you have the allen head fastners.

John

Here is the end of my boom.


John

Looks like mine, but for the fastener. Perhaps this is my excuse to buy a rivet gun.

--john

Nice picture. Mine looks the same (from memory), so apparently no design changes between '63 and your date or one of us doesn't have the original boom...

I have a 1979 DSII, which I am trying to get in order for the Spring.

John's picture shows a third rivet. That is, if there is one each on the long sides, there is a third on the short side (opposite the slot). (Mathematicians; sorry for referring to the sides on what is obviously an ellipse).

Mine only has the two on the long sides, so I plan to put in a third. Does the type of metal used in the rivet matter? I understand Greenlake's note about type of stainless steel, but I have this lingering idea that I can create problems by putting the wrong types of metal next to each other. Is that right, or does the 316 SS work ok on an aluminum boom?

Long winter of repairs ahead! Trying to do the mechanical things before I get to fiberglass and gelcoat questions.

--john

Boom and end cap are aluminum. To avoid galvanic corrosion you can either use aluminum rivets or use SS fasteners with TefGel (an insulating paste). TefGel is a bit pricy but a really small quantity will last you a long time..