I encourage you to heed the information and advice provided by other owners on this subject. It is clear they know far more than I about aluminum and potential effects of removing the paint from the boom and not re coating it with something. The phrase ‘your results may vary’ used often here and other places is appropriate. It may be that I have just somehow lucked out. Also I did apply Alumna Guard protectorant to the boom and the mast. If you choose to use that, be careful to completely wipe off any excess, that product will stain the sail and other parts of the boat.
When I was researching possible options for what to do about the flaking paint, I looked into the powder coating process but was told the oven they use to bake the finish was not large enough for the boom. There are other coating options but have not pursued them.
DavidSpray 1981 30C #93
South Dartmouth and Westport Point Ma.
Currently on the hard in New Bedford, Ma.
bear in mind that I only posted to help… hahahaha oil on the fire. Please continue to correct my stupid mistakes Anita! There’s only one way for me to learn proper Americanos or English and that’s by native tongues to correct me.
My previous boat was an aluminium ketch from 1956. Rivited! Sinking-state when I bought her and finally crossed the Atlantic Ocean with her. So I’m very tempted to claim what aluminium in seawater conditions is all about. It’ll definately stain your white sails, maybe not in moderate dry conditions but seawater-wet it will. Betting my boat on it! I’m not trying to make a point or be smart and if you wish, i’m sure there are some photographs left of my once brand new headsail stained by an old scratched aluminium furler…
Salt Coats boom is painted. Looks like Mike did a good job, I believe it was phosphertized ??? Which is a sort of undercoat for aluminium, then painted. I believe it is difficult to paint aluminium and have it stick.
Re painting boom is on my to do list right after replacing the steering cables but that is another story.
Mike Jennings.
NS005 Salt Coats.
Port Moody, BC
I own the prototype for the Nonsuch 26’s. For those wondering if the first 26’s booms were painted. The answer is “NO”. My boom was so early that it did not have the neat front and rear castings to cover the tubes. There is a flat plate at the bow and the aft end was open much to the delight of martins and wasps. Until I got a cressman boom extension, I discouraged nesting in the boom with plugs of steel wool as a temporary measure.
I’m glad that John Newell chimed in here. If you really think about it, why, on earth, would an aluminum boom (albeit a wishbone as opposed to a simple boom on a sloop, etc.) be painted. I can’t think of any Canadian (or ANY boatbuilder, frankly) that routinely painted the masts and/or booms of the boats that they built.
That doesn’t mean that this did not happen - Mike Quill has a good memory. It’s just that I think that the vast majority of our booms were not painted and that “a painted boom” (like the multitude of induividual and unique attributes that our boats sport) was some sort of “custom order”.
It does seem odd - why paint the boom when the mast is unpainted ??
Painting aluminium is not easy. I think you will find that most aluminium, including masts and booms are anodized which is another form of protection. It is probably easier to anodize a straight extruded section than a tapered one or a fabricated one.
I believe that unprotected aluminum will corrode but the composition would make a difference.
My boom is fabricated and painted. It maybe that booms that are assembled using castings were anodized. Just a guess.
Mike Jennings
NS005 Salt Coats.
Port Moody BC
Hi all,
I have had recent dealings with Mike Quill (very knowledgeable and helpful) and we had our mast and boom repainted by Peter Jones in Niagara-on-The-Lake last year: looks fabulous! I am fairly certain that Mike told me that the early masts and booms were not anodized and were painted. Our boat is hull number 40 (a NS30C). It had the original paint that was well past due!