Boom attachment point for boom vang

[Ric Trimmer]

As I'm adding a boom vang to my O-23 this year, rather than spend for a newone - I bought two used blocks and am going to construct my own. But when Ilook at the bottom of the boom, rather than a bail on the boom - there is asort of "key-way" that some attachment would slide and lock in to. Sincethe boom is used for reefing the main (rolling it up on the boom - thenre-attaching to mast) - if I don't have to put a bail on the boom, thatwould be great. But what to use to hold the upper block to the boom.That's the question. Any thoughts?

 

[Don Evans]

Options?

That slot under the boom is meant for a swaged ball on the end of a wire. The other end of the wire also has a ball that is attached through a hole on the uper block of the vang (this is a special block meant for this purpose). Do you use the rolled boom much? Rolling the main around the boom would prevent the vang from being used I presume? That is counter intuitive to me. You reduce the main due to higher winds, and thats exactly when you want to have a tight vang but you cant use one because the main is wrapped around the boom. Am I right there? I can sort of understand why you don't want a bail on the boom but I would think an shallow eye strap would not hurt the sail as it gets wound around the boom. If you can do rope splices you can splice a shackle onto the vang end and attach it to the eye strap as needed. How are you going to tighten and cleat off the bitter end of the vang rope?Don

 

[Justin - O'day Owners' Web]

Claw

O'day had a claw type device that that grabbed the boom to allow you to attach the vang even when roller furled. Try Rudy.Justin - O'day Owners' Web

 

[Rod Johnson,]

won't work for boom vang

Justin, the Reefing Claw will only work if the pull is straight down, like for a preventer or for the mainsheet when reefed. If you used a reefing claw for the boom vang it would just slide forward along the boom when you put tension on it, unless you tied a line from the clew end of the boom to the claw to hold it in place. There is (was?) a set-up made by Nico-Fico that had 2 stainless-steel plates that hooked into the sail slot on the boom and had a strap that cinched them to the boom. The Strap had a heavy aluminum D-ring on it to attach the vang to. These still tend to slide forward but can be secured by a screw or rivet providing a stop to prevent sliding. We have one of these on our CAL 21 and it works OK, not useable when roller-reefed, but doesn't create a huge lump in the sail like a bail would either.However, Ric already had the original fitting on the boom to take the ball-end wire, so he might as well use it. The NICO-FICO strap costs in the neighborhood of $40.