Build Your Own Boom Vang?

[CrawJac]

After a good day on the water Saturday (be jealous Northerners! ) I'm thinking about building my own boom vang. After some Google research and examining photos from the Chip Ahoy I think I can pull it off.

...but...

Can someone tell me if this has been done before. Any links?

Also, are there any tips/tricks for mounting the hardware to the boom? Mainly, how far back from the mast should it attach?

As always, any and all help is appreciated.

 

[Seattle Scott]

Also, are there any tips/tricks for mounting the hardware to the boom? Mainly, how far back from the mast should it attach?

the mast base and boom attachment points should result in two 45 degree angles. you ned to affix a bale on a thru bolt at the boom and on the mast attachment points.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Had a C-22 and cannot remember if there is a tang on the bottom of the boom. In this picture(http://catalina.sailboatowners.com/...Itemid=268&pid=12337&page=sshow&mn=&catid=152 ) I do not see a bale, so might be an attachment point already. Not much help on a C-22 if your mainsheet is behind you on the stern traveler. Downwind with the boom way out you want lift most of the time. We always loosen everything downwind. At any rate a rope vang is nothing but two fiddle blocks and some line. I see in the picture this one has a cam cleat at the boom end.

 

[CrawJac]

Thanks Seattle Scott!

What about hardwear? Ideas anyone or pics of your setups that I can use for inspiration?

 

[kpgraci]

My vang makes about a 45* angle from the base of the mast up to the boom, attached to the mast and boom via boom bails. 4:1 purchase. Can't seem to locate a pic at the moment.

 

[Steve Dion]

http://shop.hunterowners.com/detail-vang.htm?group=1805

Contact Catalina or Garhauer about mounting hardware.

Dave at the SBO store can probably help you with this too!

 

[dscribner]

CrawJac,

Even though I hate you for sailing when I can't I'll add my two Yankee pennies.

We added a Boom Kicker this year and love it. With a couple of blocks to make a 4:1 set, and a length of StaSet, I'm vangin' with the best of them. Keep in mind that you will often get advice from folks with 2 to 3 times the sail area as us, so we can go a little lighter weight than them.

 

[Cayennita]

Go on line for the Harken catalog. There are drawings of just about every possible combination including cascading set ups.

 

[Cayennita]

Also you can go to your local West Marine store and look at the gear there or go on line

 

[Stu Jackson]

Uhm, West Marine sells boom vangs. http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=10102&subdeptNum=10180&classNum=10183

My experience is that you can rarely build the parts, including blocks, line and shackles, less expensively.

Look at Garhauer, too, most likely way less expensive.

 

[An anonymous user]

Check it out in the for sale section.
http://macgregor.sailboatowners.com...ce&page=show_ad&catid=19&adid=3319&Itemid=220

 

[Joe]

After a good day on the water Saturday (be jealous Northerners! ) I'm thinking about building my own boom vang. After some Google research and examining photos from the Chip Ahoy I think I can pull it off

Well.... what are we talking about here? A rigid vang, or a soft vang?

If you just buy a ready made one, from garhauer marine, for instance, they come with mounting instructions and...... the rigid ones come with custom mounting brackets.

Soft Vang....... http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=38

Rigid Vang....... http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=40

 

[Joe]

Also, are there any tips/tricks for mounting the hardware to the boom? Mainly, how far back from the mast should it attach?

the mast base and boom attachment points should result in two 45 degree angles. you ned to affix a bale on a thru bolt at the boom and on the mast attachment points.

I would not recommend a bale, through bolted to the mast.(have you ever seen a "mast bale") There would be too much sideways tension on the bale and could damage the mast. For the Cat 22, a padeye inserted in the mainsail track, all the way down, secured with a self tapping screw just above it will be more than adequate. Or... a custom shaped bracket could be fabricated ala the rigid vang.

 

[Joe]

How do I delete a post.

Phil..... how do I delete a post?.... this one duplicated for some reason.

 

[CrawJac]

Thanks for all of the feedback and great links/pics. I'm going to try to build one ASAP and I'm hoping that I can get by on the cheap thanks to some extra rigging parts laying around.

 

[rardiH36]

...and I'm hoping that I can get by on the cheap thanks to some extra rigging parts laying around.

Yep, can be done. After doing some research, as you are doing, when I changed-out the PO's mainsheet blocks for lower friction roller bearing types, I utilized some of the now surplus blocks -- along with some of my bone-yard inventory, nautical swap meet acquisitions, and a few items from the local West Marine -- to conjure up a DIY boom vang.

A boom vang didn't seem a standard Hunter feature back in 1980 for my model and the several PO's before me somehow never saw the need for one! Here I was relatively new to sailing, but even a newbie could see that the boom rising up several feet whenever the main sheet was let out for a beam or broad reach needed correction.

The total range of the purchase system for a vang is only a foot or two as compared to the many feet for the mainsheet and jibsheet ... where low friction blocks really improve things. So, expensive roller bearing blocks aren't super crucial for the boom vang in my opinion. (Although would be nice to have!)

My boat has a topping lift, so I am able to get by without a rigid vang.