Boom Vangs

[selene]

Instead of hijacking my own traveller thread, I thought it may be good to start a new one...lots of talk on vangs and boomkickers...

I am looking at installing a Garhauer rigid boom vang this fall, and would appreciate any thoughts people have. One of the main reasons I am doing this is that the current setup has the vang secured from a bale to the mast tie rod, which leaves me uneasy, and it is difficult to adjust.

I read the notes on the "Ping" installation, my hatch is already reversed.

In addition to any general "best practices" or experience, a question for Alma - in your amusing story on the Traveller thread, I noticed that you decided to retain the topping lift even though you have a rigid vang.  Why was this? Sorry, rigid vang noob....

[Alma]

RE: Rigid Vang with topping lift.

My Gaurhauler solid vang doesn't bottom out until the boom is lower than I prefer. The vang does prevent coachroof crashes when reefing or furling the mainsail and provides great mainsail flattening.  I find myself not-so-fussy about the traveler now that I can flatten the main so easily.

I find adjusting the height of the boom and the tension of the mainsheet against the topping lift not only secures the boom up and down, it keeps it from swinging lazily about the cockpit too.

As I mentioned I always remove the topping lift under sail. I've found myself trying to flatten the main only to realize the topping lift needs adjustment. Secured on the backstay on a little backstay cleat that isn't a problem...

If I'm missing something please let me know!

[Alma]

Re Gaurhaler Rigid Vang-

I have beautiful stainless fasteners for the job. Contact me and I'll send you some. I have over fifty so I can spare them.

When I installed my vang I needed to consider the excessive height of my mast boot.
It was a mess. My boat came with no mast collar spacer, either rubber or wedges.

We carved a broom handle under way on our delivery cruise and those wedges remained in service in the mast partners ever after.
With the wedges sticking up out of the partners flange, the boot needed to be too high to get optimum leverage from the vang's mast mounting flange. You want the mast attachment point as low as possible to reduce strain on the fasteners and vang components.

To be able to lower the flange when I cleaned-up my mast partners and had a flush rubber bushing installed, I used only three out of four sets of holes in the flange. I left the two top of the eight fastener holes in the mast bracket un-drilled so I could lower the flange and drill the remaining fastener holes at the bottom of the bracket without having the two top holes left in the mast with no purpose.

Wasn't I surprised when I found the mast bracket's mounting holes were not made symmetrical!


The instructions mentioned leaving the outboard holes on the boom section un-drilled for final fitment so one would ASS-UME Gaurhaler made the MAST BRACKET symmetrical also- THEY DID NOT!

I WAS able with great patience and a tiny rat-tail file to elongate the holes a tiny amount to enable me to move the bracket down and drill the mast for the last two bracket mounting holes.

Honestly? The six mounting fasteners were sufficient- Eight are over-kill.