Boom height wrt boom gallows

[memelet]

1) Lowering the gooseneck makes your vang less effective.

Very good point. I currently have a soft vang, but will be installing a regular vang soon.

2) Lowering the gooseneck makes your current main not fit, unless you employ a floating tack of some sort, above the gooseneck.

I'm also installing a new tides strong track, so I can set the tack to where it needs to be.

3) You need to allow room for main halyard and sail stretch in your figuring of the gap to the gallows. A tight mainsheet and a long beat in increasing breeze can effectively lower the boom a lot with average-spec halyards and sailcloth.

Also a very good point. But even closed hauled in 20+ (no reef) the boom clears the gallows by about a foot. I don't recall the clearance under reef.