1984 H27 Boom Vang

Oct 30, 2011
91
Hunter Cherubini 27 Mason
How does the mast end of the Boom Vang attach at the base of the mast, and measuring from the gooseneck how far up the the boom would it attach? There is a very deformed pad eye on the bottom of the boom where it looks like one was attached at one time. There is also an extra set of holes at mid boom just forward of the bridles for the boom sheeting. How does one determine the optimum angle of the vang?
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
The more downward the pull, the more force is directed on the boom. However, since the father out on the boom you attach the vang, the more leverage you get, and you can't attach the other end of your vang to anything but a point vertically inline with the gooseneck, the lower you attach the vang the better. 45 degrees would be ideal. Many are mounted farther along the boom to improve support of the upward forces at the end of a longer boom. If your swivel point isn't exactly inline with your gooseneck, going for a longer vang is better, as well.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Nov 30, 2015
1,336
Hunter 1978 H30 Cherubini, Treman Marina, Ithaca, NY
The more downward the pull, the more force is directed on the boom. However, since the father out on the boom you attach the vang, the more leverage you get, and you can't attach the other end of your vang to anything but a point vertically inline with the gooseneck, the lower you attach the vang the better. 45 degrees would be ideal. Many are mounted farther along the boom to improve support of the upward forces at the end of a longer boom. If your swivel point isn't exactly inline with your gooseneck, going for a longer vang is better, as well.

-Will (Dragonfly)
Howdy @finefurn , Will is absolutely correct. The attachment to the mast on my Hunter H30C looks like this, using a combination dual stack block (Fiddle Block) with cam cleat and snap shackle running back to a second fiddle block and snap shackle on the boom at 45°. This yields a 4:1 ratio on the vang line. Disregard the red arrow, that's for the downhaul on the boom.

Boom Vang Mast Attach.jpg
 
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Nov 30, 2015
1,336
Hunter 1978 H30 Cherubini, Treman Marina, Ithaca, NY
Here's a more macro perspective of the boom vang attachment, and I'm only assuming that our boats might have a similar setup being Cherubini designs. The mast and boom are Kenyon equipment.

Boom Vang Mast Attach 2.jpg
 
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Apr 22, 2011
865
Hunter 27 Pecan Grove, Oriental, NC
Our H27 boom vang attachments look the same as in BlowMeAway's photo.
 
Jan 24, 2009
450
1981 Cherubini Hunter 27 Shipwright Harbor Marina, MD
@BlowMeAway thanks for posting the photos.
Is the piece (bail?) that's bolted to the mast something special? Do you know the proper name for it?
 
Nov 30, 2015
1,336
Hunter 1978 H30 Cherubini, Treman Marina, Ithaca, NY
@BlowMeAway thanks for posting the photos.
Is the piece (bail?) that's bolted to the mast something special? Do you know the proper name for it?
Yes it’s called a bail. Google mast bail and you’ll find a ton of suppliers...I doubt it’s anything special, just need to know the width of the mast.
 
Oct 30, 2011
91
Hunter Cherubini 27 Mason
Thanks all, this is just the info I'm looking for. I don't have a bail fitted on the mast base, nor is it obvious one ever was, no holes or fittings of any sort. My Mast base is also different than what BlowMeAway has on his H30, my halyards run internal of the mast, and the mast sits on a base that houses the blocks for the haylards Perhaps a yoke was fitted around the base that the vang was attached to. The mast was rather sloppily repainted at one time so it's possible that something was remover and painted over. Next time at the boat I'll check closer to see it something was attached at some time.
 
Oct 30, 2011
91
Hunter Cherubini 27 Mason
Thanks Will
I don't have either of those. I assume the bracket would fit into the sail track, but how would the slider work? Are the Bracket and Slider to be used together? And where would I get them.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
You can get them from defender. The slider attaches to the underside of the boom. There is nothing that says they have to work together.
Search "boom vang defender" in google or try it here in the SBO store.
From what I've seen, they are used primarily with rigid vangs and kickers.
They, of course, should work great with block and tackle vangs too.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Jun 5, 2010
1,107
Hunter 25 Burlington NJ
The setup BlowMeAway has is ideal. Best is when a single bolt or pin goes through the whole spar. However, a caution: DO NOT try to install this without pulling the mast off the mast step first! Till you do, you may have no idea what you'd be drilling through. And, as was stated above, the harder you trim the vang, the more downward pull you get on the boom - but also, the more outward pull you get on the mast. So sheet-metal screws and 'just threading into the aluminum' is not the best way to go (by far). It should really be a through-bolted bail on each end.

The very worst thing to do is to use something like the 'misshapen' pad eye on the deck. Just: NO. :doh: Do not ever impose upward rigging loads on a cored deck. There is no need, no benefit, and definitely no security. In fact, remove that piece of junk now and dutifully fill all those holes with epoxy. In fact you'd better inspect it to see if you might not need more remedial work there. This is one place were soggy core and compromise in any other way is just plain bad news. It's not your fault - that vang should never have been attached there - and please do not use it again!

One really cool trick is to wriggle a stainless-steel padeye into the mainsail boltrope groove, where it's extending down below the boom towards the deck (if yours does this; mine does). But this will have to be heavily bolted (typically by just threading the aluminum), so use the biggest padeye you can find that will slide in (because the bolts will likewise be big). You have only a H27, so the main is not that big; and remember with a short boom like you have the leverage on a vang - let's say extending out over a quarter of the boom's length - is pretty helpful. (If your boom were not as short and the same height off the deck it'd be less leverage.)

On my boat I fitted a Garhauer halyard-block tray under the mast step (please don't spread that around; but it is the only piece of Garhauer on the boat). This is beyond ideal because it keeps all the upward pull of halyard blocks under the much greater compression load of the mast... essentially negating them as far as the deck is concerned. There is NO better way to locate halyard turning blocks, vang fittings, reef lines, pole lifts, etc., than this. Everything else is a structural compromise.

If you're not unstepping the mast, just take off the boom & gooseneck, slide the padeye fitting down the groove til it's just off the deck, and then drill pilot holes before sliding the fitting out of the way and finishing with your metal tap. My trick has long been to put white electrical tape on the back of the fitting before screwing it down - this keeps the two metals nominally isolated and prevents (or at least long forestalls) bimetallic corrosion. Then use that bail for attaching the vang tackle.

No need to go crazy on snap-shackle blocks if you're leaving the vang in place all the time. Also one end does not have to have a swivel shackle (have the swivel at the bottom). I buy oodles of used blocks on eBay - you'd be surprised at the savings. Stick to good Schaefer ones since that's what your boat had when new. :wink:
 
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Jun 5, 2010
1,107
Hunter 25 Burlington NJ
Here's a more macro perspective of the boom vang attachment, and I'm only assuming that our boats might have a similar setup being Cherubini designs. The mast and boom are Kenyon equipment.

View attachment 161538
I love that you have a downhaul too! One thing though: I would not presume that most boats even have these any more. Whenever I say 'downhaul' in certain circles (like at boat shows) people look funnily at me and say, 'Do you mean the vang? Oh; I have a BoomKicker! - wouldn't have anything else!' (These people also spend too much time playing games on computers. They probably have arms like Q-tips. But I digress.)
 
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Jun 5, 2010
1,107
Hunter 25 Burlington NJ
I have a snap schackle on both ends of my vang. Allows to be moved out to the toe rail for downwind. Or a man overboard.
That's what many do, Ron; and usually it's copacetic; but that's also how most broken booms happen. Have I ever done it before? - too many times to count. Broken the boom? - no; of course not. But things get weird mostly when you're not expecting it.

I may be privileged to have loads of extra tackle around and can make up a 3:1 vang with old blocks any time. For this season I'm rigging two true preventers - piece of line about 28 ft long with snap shackle one end - clip to vang bail, lead down and forward through movable snap-shackle block on the rail, then back to cockpit and winch if necesary. One each side. Biggest benefit: being able to completely release it (no stopper knot at end of line) in event of rolling sea/broach/knockdown/unreliable conditions. Since most people only ever use preventers in mild weather, to keep the boom from swinging out and back with near-calm conditions, the purchase of a vang tackle is of less value.

This sea
 
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