Day 603.

The fore boom has simpler rigging than the main boom, and goes pretty quickly.

Fore Boom Tackle

The fore boom’s tackle is nearly identical to the one on the main boom.  It is secured to the bottom of the boom and made with 0.018″ tan line.

Fore Boom Sheet

The fore boom sheet runs from the aft end of the boom down to the fore boom sheet buffer on the deck.  Two double blocks are laced with 0.018″ tan rigging line.  A pin with an eye secures the lower block to the boom sheet buffer on the deck.  A fairlead, made from a slice of brass tube (wrapped in black rigging line) is attached to pin’s eye.

The free end of the sheet’s line runs through the fairlead and is tied off to a belaying pin on the fife rail.

The fore boom sheet runs between the boom and the buffer on the deck.  Note the fairlead on the pin connecting the lower block to the buffer.

Fore Boom Topping Lift

The fore boom topping lift pulls upward on the boom and holds it off the deck.  It starts just below the trestle tree on the main mast, where it is hooked onto a small metal piece that was installed when the mast was built.

Black 0.008″ rigging line was used for the pendant, running from the mast down to a double block.

The top of the topping lift is hooked to the mast.

The block here is tiny, which resulted in one of my worst block seizings.  Not proud of this one.

Tan 0.008″ line runs between this block and a lower block that is hooked to the boom.

A very small block connects the upper pendant of the topping lift to the lower section.

The lower block is hooked to the eye at the end of the boom.

The lower block uses a hook to attach to the boom.

Linking the Boom to the Mast

Unlike the main boom, the fore boom doesn’t have jaws.  Instead, it is secured with a bolt to the gooseneck on the fore mast.

A bolt secures the end of the boom to the fore mast’s gooseneck.