I plan to rig a rope-block-and-tackle boom vang on my boat. Probably a do-it-yourself job. I have about 115 sq feet of mainsail (23' luff; 10' foot), and our winds generally range from 5-20 mph - usually at the lower end. My question is: how much mechanical advantage do I need? 4:1? 8:1? 12:1? The Harken site has a great page showing several setups, which vary in these terms. I have no idea which of them to go for" If it's relevant: I'm leading the vang line back to the cockpit, where there's winches available if need be. As you can see, I don't really know what I'm doing here, so any other installation suggestions would be really helpful! Thanks a lot. Dick
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Do yourself a favor
Check out the Garhauer rigid vangs. For not much more than a soft vang, you can do away with the topping lift and gain some other advantages too. If you ever use one on a boat, anything else seems prehistoric. Or at least medieval.
Check out the Garhauer rigid vangs. For not much more than a soft vang, you can do away with the topping lift and gain some other advantages too. If you ever use one on a boat, anything else seems prehistoric. Or at least medieval.
A topping lift has more uses than just...
Bob, Your cavalier dismissal of a topping lift is a bit overdone. That particular line has other uses, such as a spare halyard when another hangs or breaks. Also used as a lift for a bos'n chair, running up signals, all sorts of uses. A rigid vang is okay if you can justify the expense, but it DOES NOT replace all the uses of a topping lift. did
Bob, Your cavalier dismissal of a topping lift is a bit overdone. That particular line has other uses, such as a spare halyard when another hangs or breaks. Also used as a lift for a bos'n chair, running up signals, all sorts of uses. A rigid vang is okay if you can justify the expense, but it DOES NOT replace all the uses of a topping lift. did
3:1 would do it, but 4:1 is nicer
All you should need is a 3:1, but a 4:1 fiddle with cam cleat sure makes life easier.<grin>
All you should need is a 3:1, but a 4:1 fiddle with cam cleat sure makes life easier.<grin>
Dick, sounds like you sail about a 25' -27'
boat. I own a 25' boat and installed my vang with the same equipment I have for my main sheet. I also installed it upside down. The fiddle w/ becket and cam cleat are connected to the boom and the fiddle is connected to the base of the mast. My sheet is about 10" longer than needed and hangs right above the companionway with the hatch open so that I can slide open the hatch, run down the companionway and hang on the vang when needed. Things on my boat are too crowded to run it back to the cockpit and I have no cabin top winch to put pressure on it. hope this helped. r.w.landau
boat. I own a 25' boat and installed my vang with the same equipment I have for my main sheet. I also installed it upside down. The fiddle w/ becket and cam cleat are connected to the boom and the fiddle is connected to the base of the mast. My sheet is about 10" longer than needed and hangs right above the companionway with the hatch open so that I can slide open the hatch, run down the companionway and hang on the vang when needed. Things on my boat are too crowded to run it back to the cockpit and I have no cabin top winch to put pressure on it. hope this helped. r.w.landau
Good points, did,
though how you know I am a UVa graduate (Cavaliers) is beyond me. Actually, there is too much stuff at my masthead now, including a spare foresail halyard and a spinnaker halyard, and the boat had a designated topping lift in addition to those when I bought it. The rigid vang does involve more bucks, no question, but it sure paid for itself the day we broke the boom and it supported the gooseneck end.
though how you know I am a UVa graduate (Cavaliers) is beyond me. Actually, there is too much stuff at my masthead now, including a spare foresail halyard and a spinnaker halyard, and the boat had a designated topping lift in addition to those when I bought it. The rigid vang does involve more bucks, no question, but it sure paid for itself the day we broke the boom and it supported the gooseneck end.
Boomkicker
Hi Dick, I installed a Boomkicker vang several years ago on my 23'Ranger. Good move..Kissed the topping lift goodbye. It's used in conjunction with a Schaefer 4:1 upsidedown purchase like "r.w.landau" describes. I only have 117sf of mainsail (25.8'x9.2') so its not difficult to pull down on the line to cinch. No need to run it to the cockpit as its already just above the companionway. If I wanted to, I could add a cascade wire and block to double the puchase, but its not really necessary. The vang has a snap shackle on the lower fiddle block so it can be used as a preventer, clipped to a stanchion base or toerail. I single hand a lot and I like to keep things simple. Less to go wrong, you know! Regards,Howard.
Hi Dick, I installed a Boomkicker vang several years ago on my 23'Ranger. Good move..Kissed the topping lift goodbye. It's used in conjunction with a Schaefer 4:1 upsidedown purchase like "r.w.landau" describes. I only have 117sf of mainsail (25.8'x9.2') so its not difficult to pull down on the line to cinch. No need to run it to the cockpit as its already just above the companionway. If I wanted to, I could add a cascade wire and block to double the puchase, but its not really necessary. The vang has a snap shackle on the lower fiddle block so it can be used as a preventer, clipped to a stanchion base or toerail. I single hand a lot and I like to keep things simple. Less to go wrong, you know! Regards,Howard.
4:1 will do
I have a slightly larger mainsail at about 150 sq. ft. and I am using a 4:1 vang with about 1.75" sheaves in the fiddle blocks and 3/8" line. I usually luff the main momentarily when I want to pull down the boom since I don't like to use a winch for this type of adjustment and 4:1 isn't enough mechanical advantage in strong winds without the winch. Keep it simple at 4:1. No need for a cam cleat on the lower block if you are running it back to the cockpit. Kevin
I have a slightly larger mainsail at about 150 sq. ft. and I am using a 4:1 vang with about 1.75" sheaves in the fiddle blocks and 3/8" line. I usually luff the main momentarily when I want to pull down the boom since I don't like to use a winch for this type of adjustment and 4:1 isn't enough mechanical advantage in strong winds without the winch. Keep it simple at 4:1. No need for a cam cleat on the lower block if you are running it back to the cockpit. Kevin
4:1
I'd go 4:1. If you find it is not enough the purchase is easily doubled by adding one small block. So 8:1,or even 16:1 is easily available.
I'd go 4:1. If you find it is not enough the purchase is easily doubled by adding one small block. So 8:1,or even 16:1 is easily available.
Boom vang decision
Thanks everyone for your responses. I was particularly intrigued by r.w.'s suggested upside-down installation and would have gone with this had I stuck to the soft tackle approach. Bob has, however, persuaded me. I'm getting a Garhauer rigid vang. Their prices are amazing - $250 - and, so far, they've been most helpful. I'll feedback the results when I have it installed: about a month from now, based on their delivery estimate. And, Didereaux, I'm maintaing my topping lift: last job of the sail will be to hook the boom into it. Among other things, this should relax the load on the vang's spring. Dick
Thanks everyone for your responses. I was particularly intrigued by r.w.'s suggested upside-down installation and would have gone with this had I stuck to the soft tackle approach. Bob has, however, persuaded me. I'm getting a Garhauer rigid vang. Their prices are amazing - $250 - and, so far, they've been most helpful. I'll feedback the results when I have it installed: about a month from now, based on their delivery estimate. And, Didereaux, I'm maintaing my topping lift: last job of the sail will be to hook the boom into it. Among other things, this should relax the load on the vang's spring. Dick
Great choice
You made a great decision; I have the same vang. If you think Garhauer's prices are amazing, wait until you see the incredible quality of their products. Then you'll really wonder how they manage to sell at the prices they charge. Some of us live in fear that one day they'll wake up and double their prices.
You made a great decision; I have the same vang. If you think Garhauer's prices are amazing, wait until you see the incredible quality of their products. Then you'll really wonder how they manage to sell at the prices they charge. Some of us live in fear that one day they'll wake up and double their prices.
Al......Shhhhh!
Al, Keep talking about Garhauer that way and you are sure to jinx us, and the prices will go up. I was just reading the review and prices of travelers in the June issue of PS (Garhauer didn't get included....something about a new model not being available) and couldn't help chuckle when I noticed the Lewmar was recommended as a sort of "best buy" due to its "low price" of about $660, which is about 3 times what I paid for my Garhauer last winter. I hope Mark, Guido and the other folks at Garhauer don't subscribe to PS and see the competitions' prices. Kevin
Al, Keep talking about Garhauer that way and you are sure to jinx us, and the prices will go up. I was just reading the review and prices of travelers in the June issue of PS (Garhauer didn't get included....something about a new model not being available) and couldn't help chuckle when I noticed the Lewmar was recommended as a sort of "best buy" due to its "low price" of about $660, which is about 3 times what I paid for my Garhauer last winter. I hope Mark, Guido and the other folks at Garhauer don't subscribe to PS and see the competitions' prices. Kevin
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