OBrien Sensation

Question
I bought a bunch of windsurfing gear I will use some for my canoe but my question is the board I got my son will use I don't see a size of boom on the sail and it did not come with a boom or foot straps I do sail so I can teach him the basics of tacking and wind I just don't know how to rig a windsurfer . I really just need the boom size and I did get several sails one says boom 175, and luff 450 he is just beginning but is a fast learner he rides a unicycle very well what would you recommend. thanks

Answer
The sail that says boom 175 is part of your answer. This is telling you that to rig that sail properly, the boom length should be set at 175cm. Booms normally come in 3-4 sizes and each size covers a range of lengths as they are adjustable. Most sails will have the boom length on them but if the other sails don't have it then you can estimate what you need. Lay all the sails out with the largest on the bottom. Line up the mast sleeves so that you can measure the outhauls on each sail. Measure the sail that says 175cm. It should be about 12-20cm shorter as the 175cm boom length is for when the sail is rigged. This difference is about the same for most sails. Now measure the smallest sail and the largest sail and add about 20cm to determine about what size boom the sail needs. Check out the link below to see some new booms. The length ranges of each size boom is listed below the boom. Using your measurements of the your sails, you may be able to find a boom that will work for all your sails depending upon the size differences of your sails.

The luff is the length mast that the sail needs for proper rigging. The other measurement to look for is the MCS. This is the stiffness of the mast. Most recreational sails want a stiffness around 25-27. Wave sails tend to be a little softer and race sails want something stiffer.

As for learning to rig and sail, check out YouTube for lots of how to's. Many rigging videos will show newer sails but the basics are all the same.

http://chinooksailing.com/index.php/windsurf/booms/sport-booms.html

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover