Got my first RDM (Loft Bico 430) yesterday for my smaller Loft Blades after having a mast failure 2 weeks ago. Noticed immediately just how much easier it was to downhaul although the luff is slightly flatter than with an SDM. Rotation is definitely smoother with the RDM too. The only p1ss around is the mast shim that came with my boom - it's a real pain as the shim doesn't clip onto mast neatly and then the boom head doesn't clip into shim neatly - excuse my french but it's a f@#king hopeless design.
Anyone know of a good quality shim that will fit a Unifiber (same as Aeron) head.

Here's the culprit

Leave the shim in the boom head & just tap (palm) it onto the mast - works for me on my Naish boom & Ezzy mast.

sausage said...

Got my first RDM (Loft Bico 430) yesterday for my smaller Loft Blades after having a mast failure 2 weeks ago. Noticed immediately just how much easier it was to downhaul although the luff is slightly flatter than with an SDM. Rotation is definitely smoother with the RDM too. The only p1ss around is the mast shim that came with my boom - it's a real pain as the shim doesn't clip onto mast neatly and then the boom head doesn't clip into shim neatly - excuse my french but it's a f@#king hopeless design.
Anyone know of a good quality shim that will fit a Unifiber (same as Aeron) head.

We used to use some of these same plastic parts on our front ends, so we made our own rubber shim to fit. Send me an address and I'll throw one in the mail.

Nolimitz shims are the ones you want.

FormulaNova said...

ikw777 said...
Nolimitz shims are the ones you want.

Which are the same ones that come with Ezzy masts I think (I think they even say nolimitz on them).

The Ezzy shims are to fat for my Aeron.

Just a quick update.

Thanks again Ben for your generousity in sending me some Severne shims. My Unifiber boom with the shim fits the Loft Bico RDM perfectly with not even a millimetre of slippage and only using very minimal lever tension. It's also much easier to rig and stiffens up the connection when sailing.

I think the main issue with the plastic shim was the fact that the diameter of BICO mast at the boom is larger (44mm) as opposed to the base diameter of 38mm (which the plastic one is probably designed for).