When I first bought my V21, the mainsheet handling system(if you could call it that) was built mostly from what appeared to be the boom vang. After being hit in the head with it for a season, I decided to re-construct and hopefully improve the original system. This means that i now have a boom vang available for normal use. My question is: while I know that in heavy air on perhaps a beam reach, the vang should be tightened, should it not also be kept tight during a jibe(controlled, I hope) to prevent the boom from kicking up too high and snagging the back stay? I've heard a couple of different opinions about it. What do the rest of you 'old salts' say?
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Vang
I didn't have a boom vang on my C22 when I bought it. I installed one, and wouldn't want to sail without one. In light winds or down wind, you can loosen the vang a little to allow the sail to have a fuller shape. Tighten the vang in heavier winds. When executing a gibe, you sholud hold your course,and slowly sheet in the main, until it is tight. Then change course, get the wind onto the other side of the main, pick your heading as you slowly let out the main sheet. Never let the boom touch the spreaders, because in an unexpected gibe, you could hit the spreaders with the boom and cause damage.
I didn't have a boom vang on my C22 when I bought it. I installed one, and wouldn't want to sail without one. In light winds or down wind, you can loosen the vang a little to allow the sail to have a fuller shape. Tighten the vang in heavier winds. When executing a gibe, you sholud hold your course,and slowly sheet in the main, until it is tight. Then change course, get the wind onto the other side of the main, pick your heading as you slowly let out the main sheet. Never let the boom touch the spreaders, because in an unexpected gibe, you could hit the spreaders with the boom and cause damage.
Bruce: The boom vang controls 2 things - twist primarily and draft position secondarily. It also serves to prevent the boom from rising as you approach the downwind point of sail. Increasing tension on the vang REDUCES twist and decreasing tension INCRESES twist. So, as the wind increases you want to REDUCE tension on the vang because the effect is that the top of the sail opens up and spills air out the top. Your reducing the power of the sail when you open the top, which helps keep the boat on its feet. If your interested in learning more about your sail trim controls for the main and jib, pop on over to the SAIL TRIM FORUM. A lot of your questions can be answered there.
To Answer Your Question...
Bruce, You'll want to have the vang loose during a jibe. In the unexpected case that you have a "crash" jibe, the stress sent to the vang can cause the vang to break & fail. First loosen the vang and then use the mainsheet method the previous post described. Good Luck! Allen Schweitzer s/v Falstaff C-30 Hull# 632
Bruce, You'll want to have the vang loose during a jibe. In the unexpected case that you have a "crash" jibe, the stress sent to the vang can cause the vang to break & fail. First loosen the vang and then use the mainsheet method the previous post described. Good Luck! Allen Schweitzer s/v Falstaff C-30 Hull# 632
I'll be keeping mine tentioned
during a jibe so I can keep the leach under control, to avoid the boom going one way and half the main going the other way. Now Bruce, haven't Allen and I straightened all this out for you?
during a jibe so I can keep the leach under control, to avoid the boom going one way and half the main going the other way. Now Bruce, haven't Allen and I straightened all this out for you?
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