I just bought some used gear and am a bit confused (which doesn't take a lot )

Say the 5.0m sail spec 170cm boom and the 6.5m sail spec 193cm boom. I got 2 'X3' booms 160-210 and 180-230. Numbers wise, both booms can be adjusted to do the job but from the shape of them, what's the theory behind boom selection?



Also, with my old tie on boom, I didn't think much about how high I tied it on the mast in relation to the clew. With the newer clamp on boom, once clamped it has a range of movement for the clew. Have you ever clamped on and the clew wasn't within this boom range? (what I'm trying to say is clamp the boom too far down the mast so the boom cannot swing up to be in line with the clew). I'm just thinking ahead here since I have not actually rigged the sail yet.

cheers