Boom vang

[crapnell]

This is a '68 Pearson Wanderer 30'. The pictured vang lines run back to the cockpit. I can't figure out how they work, the tabernacle is on a one foot tract that slides up and down, the boom is rear sheeted on a traveler.

Mike

 

[RON20406]

This is a '68 Pearson Wanderer 30'. The pictured vang lines run back to the cockpit. I can't figure out how they work, the tabernacle is on a one foot tract that slides up and down, the boom is rear sheeted on a traveler.

Mike

Mike, you need to take a picture of the terminal ends of the vang. Do they run to rope clutches, other blocks? Also, how can a tabernacle be on a track that slides up and down when the tabernacle is under the mast? Best, Ron

 

[Wanderer138]

The picture looks more like a downhaul tackle than a boom vang. Most vangs are rigged in line with the boom from a bail underneath, like the one in the picture from my '69 Wanderer. However, your setup looks like it can be slid along the boom so it may actually be serving double duty as both vang and downhaul. Maybe someone with a similar setup can comment.

The boom on the Wanderer DOES slide up and down on a track about a foot long on the back of the mast. You can see the track above the gooseneck in the picture. Running the control lines back to the cockpit means someone wanted to able to adjust it under way from either side of the cockpit. Looks to me like someone raced your Wanderer seriously. Mine was raced by a previous owner too.

On a related note, can you post a picture of your cabin top showing the location of the dorade vent in relation to the mast? Thanks.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Wow. A boom claw. I haven't seen one of those on a boat for some time. They were used on boats with roller reefing booms where the mainsail was furled around the boom to reef it. You have two block and tackle systems for each side (port and starboard). When on a starboard tack (wind over the starboard side of boat), then you cleat in the port tackle. The same applies on the opposite tack, except you cleat in the tackle on the starboard side. The side not used remains "lazy" until you tack. If it leads aft to the cockpit, then that is convenient. You mentioned tabernacle. Not sure where that applies, but then you didn't offer any more photos. If you never use the roller reefing boom feature and have gone to jiffy reefing, you can toss the boom claw and install a conventional single vang from mid boom to mast base and run the line aft for convenience. But, actually this double vang situation that you now have makes for a better preventer too, depending on where they attach to the deck.

 

[ILikeRust]

This is timely for me.

I also have a 1968 Pearson Wanderer, with the roller-furling boom. I bought it last year. The previous owner included a whole mess of stuff, but no vang. He described a device that clamped onto the boom, and I have seen one just like he describes. It is not the claw shown, but two curved pieces of flat metal that clamp on either side of the boom. Pullling it tight causes it clamp tightly onto the boom.

I am switching to slab reefing and plan on installing a bolt to prevent the boom from rotating anyhow, so I'm thinking maybe I'll just install a vang fitting onto the boom.

Mike - when you say "tabernacle," I think you mean the gooseneck fitting at the forward end of the boom? Because what you describe sounds like mine as well. The forward end of the boom attaches to a fitting that slides up and down in a track mounted near the base of the mast. There is a downhaul that attaches to bottom of that fitting.

What you have pictured is a "boom claw" that functions as a vang for a roller-reefing boom.