Boom fittings

[Overomtimistix]

The boom on my 12 has a slot running along the top of it, but the clew of the sail is held down by a webbing strop that is tight around the boom and doesn't slide very well.
Are there any better ways of setting it up so that it will move more easily?
Would this boom originally be for a sail with a bolt rope sewn into the foot?
Could I put a slider in instead?
I guess that if it was that easy then it would have been tried by the previous owner.

[Alex D]

There was some discussion some while ago on a string of balls...

http://www.national12.org/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.cgi?m-1226653950/s-4