Boom Gallows Poles

My hardware pack contained a length of stainless steel tubing to make the poles for the boom gallows.

I now needed to test fit the poles in the seatbacks to make sure that the holes were big enough for a snug but easy fit. The tubing is 25mm in diameter, so will not fit directly into the seatback holes as drilled at 25mm.

The tubing looked very shiny and very hard, and I had been wondering for some time how to cut it.

I didn't think an ordinary hacksaw blade would be up to the task, but advice available on tool vendors' sites was that a bimetal blade would do the job.

I didn't have a bimetal blade, so obtained one and tried it. No problem at all! I cut the tubing in half and cleaned up the ends with a file.

Here is a support pole, test fitted in the port seatback.

It was necessary to round out the holes to achieve a good fit. A rasp was used on the hole in the upper seatback, and a small Spiraband abrasive wheel in the corded drill with a right angle drive did the trick in the lower support blocks.

Here are both poles test fitted in the boat.

We're getting there!