Eastport Pram Build #12: Spar for the Course…

As I’m fond of mentioning, there’s always time to be building other parts while you’re waiting on something else to cure. Another example of that is the spars. I had to make the mast earlier because it was integral to the installation of the mast step. While I was waiting for the 4 coats of epoxy to cure on the bottom, I could start working on the boom and yard. The boom has an old school gooseneck that wraps partially around the mast. In order to create the large diameter hole, I used a hole saw while the part was still attached to the sheet of scrap material. This is also a laminated part. Once the hole was cut, I could then cut out the profile.

Hole cut first…

There was a fair bit of rasping done to get the gooseneck to its finished profile.

Gooseneck roughed out and laminated…

The boom and yard were made out of the same hemlock as the mast. They were cut to length and all of the edges were eased with the 1/4″ round-over bit. It’s also important to ease the correct edges of the gooseneck before attaching it to the boom.

Gooseneck installed on boom…

The round hole pivots nicely on the squarish mast. I will consider wrapping the mast with some self-bonding tape once I figure out where the gooseneck is going to ride.