Hmmmmm, That certainly doesn't sound normal to me. I'm riding
a "smaller" 9.5 retro on a Gulftech carbon boom, and for 1 season,
no issues. I did break the head on my small carbon Hawaiian ProLine,
on a 4.7 day at Doug's, but I don't fault the boom, and HPL was most
gracious in providing me a new head, even though I was out of warranty
(it's nice to live where they make HPL carbons).
I have a lot of Chinook alu booms, and they've always brought me back,
I am a big fan, but I don't know their carbon booms. With 3 failures,
at 190 lbs (I weigh about 180), it seems like there may be something
wrong with the geometry of your boom, or maybe with the way the
tubes get replaced. Are you doing the replacement?
-Craig
On Apr 3, 9:14=A0pm, Windinmysails <Cr...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> I bought a Chinook Triple Clamp Carbon Fiber Formula boom a couple years
> ago. "Expensive" I thought but worth it. My opinion may be changing.
> I've broken the head and three boom arms. =A0In Chinook's defense, they
> did replace the head and two of the arms under warranty. But now that
> the third arm just broke, I'm becoming increasingly hesitant to venture
> out with it again.
>
> My weight is approximately 190 lbs, and last Sunday I rigged an 11 sq
> meter Retro. The wind had built to the point where I probably could have
> sailed my 9.5 or even 8 but it was on the Niagara River, which sometimes
> can be gusty, so I rigged for the lulls. Mildly overpowered, heading out
> on a reach......SNAP!!!. =A0Turned around & sailed the good side back
in.
> 40 degree F air, 32 degree F water. =A0Each time that the boom has
broken,=
> it has been in colder temperatures.
>
> Is this normal? Is this a design flaw of Chinook Carbon Formula Booms?
> Their website says "The stuff you can trust". I'm no longer so sure.
> The description for their Carbon Booms says "Very stiff strong and
> dependable". I'm not so sure.
>
> For the price of the Carbon Formula, I could buy FOUR Aluminum Formula
> booms. I was told the Carbon was far stronger, stiffer, lighter, and
> would lock the draft better in a large sail. After this experience, I
> may have to rethink this and take my chances with Aluminum and it may
> not be Chinook, even though my booms in the past were Chinook.
>
> What are your experiences? =A0Are other Carbon Booms as fragile? I
thought=
> =A0 =A0 far better and stronger Formula sailors regularly sailed
overpower=
ed
> on Carbon booms with no ill effects. What do you think?
>
> Thanks for any feedback from other windsurfers.
>
> Craig.
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