Source for gooseneck fitting

[Ryan]

I am looking for a source for gooseneck fittings for my boom. The original is the T-track type similar to the one Tim originally had on Glissando. I'd like to replace it with the same thing, but I'm open to changing if I need to. Where is the best place to get something like this? Most of the websites out there by spar makers are pretty unclear about what they actually have. I don't use a boom vang and all my sailing in this boat is on an inland lake where the winds are fairly mild. Thanks for any info!

[Figment]

Is the original lost, or did it fail? (could you get it repaired?)

What's your level of urgency? Stuff like this pops up on ebay over the winter, as the yards get slow and they start sorting through the gear they salvaged off of wrecks during the summer.

[Ryan]

The original was the type that provided a rolling boom for reefing the main. The problem with the original is that it is jury rigged in every sense. I could probably reuse it, but I hate to spend so much time on everything else and then put that conglomeration back on.

Urgency is not an issue as I have no plans for this boat to even sniff water until next summer, and that's probably wishful thinking. I have never seen anything like that on ebay, but to be honest, I haven't ever looked. Thanks for the heads up, I'll keep an eye out.

[Tim]

The original is the T-track type similar to the one Tim originally had on Glissando.

Ryan,

Is your fitting exactly the same as mine was? If so, I probably have some pieces and parts in which you might be interested, though I don't know exactly what you need, or which parts are broken on your boat.

If you want to keep a sliding gooseneck, in essence you have these basic components:

1. Track (on mast)
2. Sliding car
3. Toggle(s) that connects car to boom; swivel capacity in two directions required

Many sliding goosenecks end up jury-rigged because they have fallen out of favor, except in dinghies and very small boats, making exact replacement parts tough to come by. Most modern rigs use fixed goosenecks, often with a cunningham to control the luff tension. So instead you end up with some arrangement made from the 4 incompatible pieces that some previous owner managed to come up with from his junk bin, or perhaps from whatever his local West Marine happened to have in stock on that particular day.

The roller reefing end of the boom can often complicate things when reconfiguring the existing gooseneck. So much depends on exactly how your boom is laid out, so it's tough to point you in much of a direction here without seeing or hearing more about your setup.

A spar shop or friendly local machine shop can make up custom goosenecks, or any part thereof, if you decide to go that route. Metalmast is good, but don't expect bottom-of-the-barrel pricing.

Photos of my original gooseneck setup are here.

[Ryan]

Tim

My setup is not exactly like yours, but close enough that it was instantly recognizable when I first saw it. Pictures of mine are below. The T-track car was welded to a fitting that was supposed to swivel horizontally, but it does not anymore, and I have tried penetrating oil, heat and a large hammer with no luck. The boom is now separate from the gooseneck fitting below, as I had to saw to two pieces apart. The mounting holes that were drilled in the end cap for the boom have been been filled in and the boom end is fresh and ready for another solution.



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[Case]

For its worth, there is a supplier of floating gooseneck fittings - the website is http://www.dwyermast.com/ You might find what you are looking here. Not sure if they have the floating goosenecks that is the right size for the Triton though. Check it out anyway in the hardware section. Another supplier is http://www.rigrite.com/ but I have heard that service is... not great. You can look into it if you want. For the cheapest route, I agree with Figment in waiting for the right part to show up in eBay during the winter.