THow to attach boom to mast on old bic board

Question
I was given an old Bic board and have all the parts.  One item, an 8 inch loop of black rop with a red ball on it looks like the piece needed to attach the boom to the mast.  Can't figure it out though.  any ideas?  Thanks.

Answer
Hey Frank,

The loop with the red ball is what you need to get the boom on the mast. Here's how;

First slide the sail onto the mast with the clew of the sail to your left when standing at the bottom of the mast. Insert the mast base into the mast. Loop the downhaul rope through the sail grommet and pulleys of the base at least twice and pull some tension on the sail.

Take a measurement of you from ground to pecs using the boom. Use this measurement from the bottom of the mast to start your rope position. Take the loop of rope with the ball and loop the ball around the mast and through the loop twice and snug the rope on itself. Adjust the loops around the mast so they lay flat and the two lines attached to the ball should be in the center of the loops.

Now slide the boom over the top end of the mast with the forward end of the boom on top of the mast the clew end under the mast. The boom/mast connection and the clew should be directly parallel with the mast. If the boom is adjustable, be sure the pins and holes are facing down

There should be an opening large enough for the ball and a slot for the rope. Slip the ball up through the opening from under the boom head and insert the rope in the slot.

Now grasp the mast about 12-18" above the boom with your right hand. Lift the mast enough so that the boom will clear the ground ~ 24". Grab the boom about 12" from the mast with your left hand and pivot the boom so that the clew goes away from the mast and towards the clew grommet on the sail. The ball/rope loop should tighten up as you pivot the boom. Attach the clew (outhaul) rope and snug the sail.

You may need to add more downhaul and adjust the outhaul to get the sail shaped.
Stand the sail up and check the height of the boom. With the mast base universal (rubber hourglass or tendon) bent over, the boom should be about shoulder height or just a bit higher when standing on the board. If you need to adjust height, release the outhaul, swing the boom up, and release the red ball. Loosen the loops and slide up or down as needed. Once you have sailed a time or two and know what height works best for you, you can draw a line with a permanant marker at the bottom of the loops so you can set the rope at the right height each time.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover