Hi all,
I may add a boom vang to my 23 this year and am wondering how others have set theirs up. I've seen some with the cleat up near the boom and some with it at the base of the mast. And I'm wondering generally how people stow the line, lead it aft, etc.
Pics would be ideal, if anyone has some.
All you need is the boom vang which is nothing more than a block and tackle consisting of braid line, two fiddle blocks with a cam cleat attached to the pulling block, with a snap shackle at both blocks for the attachment to the boom bale and the bale or utility plate hole at the foot of the mast.
If you don't have an eye strap or bale under your boom, you'll need to mount one about 2/3s of the way from the goose neck, or mount it so that the vang is at a 45 degree when it's set up.
I have a Kenyon hinged tabernacle with a utility plate under it. The plate has tabs with holes in them for mounting sheaves, a vang, or a Cunningham.
I had a tab on the back of my plate in which I used to attach my boom vang to, but it interfered with my mast raising so I cut it off.
I really haven't gotten around to making up something permanent yet, so what I have be doing for the bottom of the mast vang attachment is using a short piece or 1/4" braid and tying it to the rear holes in the outer tabs.
This attachment at the tabernacle really isn't that critical. However, the attachment point on the boom is critical.
As for the line; I just run it over the cabin and into the cockpit near the Starboard side of the cabin bulkhead.
These boom vangs are very pricey but if you have any marine consignment shops in your area you can get them real reasonable and make it up yourself. You may be able to find a block with the cam cleat bolted to it for your pulling block. These cams cleats can be unbolted and flipped over so that you can release the blocks by pulling up on the line, or pulling down on the line. I have my cam cleat set so that the line will release when I pull up on the line.
Some of these vangs are set up with a special attachment consisting of a braid wire cable with a swaged ball at the end. The ball fits into a special plate riveted under the boom which resembles a large key hole. The ball fits into the hole and slides forward into the key slot which locks it in place.
Personally, I don't like this set up. I much prefer the eye strap or bale under the boom. This way, you can use your boom vang for other purposes. I installed an extra long braid line on my vang and I use it to pull my mast up. I don't have any pics of my boom vang attached to my boom. Sorry about that.