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What good is a boom vang?
- Thread starter goldenstate
- Start date
I appreciate all of the feedback on this thread. I went sailing today with these comments in mind.
My problem really related to my incorrect use of the topping lift. I figured if I could keep the boom an inch or two over my head and the sail still had 'good shape' then all the safer and better for me.
Today instead, I lowered my rope boom topping lift after I had raised the main and headed out in high-teens wind. I indeed could make a difference in the trim and sail shape by tensioning my vang. Here's a wide angle shot with the vang hauled in. The reefing lines look taut but they were not holding any weight.
To compare, I released the vang and sure enough the boom floated up about 10-12". More twist in the main.
With the vang released the entire boat unsettled. More flopping around, more variations in heel, and a lack of control.
With the vang tensioned, the rig and the boat were much more calm and steady.
I think I will be able to defer reefing to higher wind levels by using the topping lift and vang as intended instead of what I was doing incorrectly.
Also, I am upgrading my running rigging and gear. This vang practice process has helped me decide to go ahead and buy new blocks and line for the existing vang as a starting point. I can move to a rigid vang later if need be.
On an entirely separate note:
As I was making my way out of my local marina neighborhood, I saw a corpulent motor yacht that was reminiscent Rodney Dangerfield's boat in Caddyshack. As it passed, I noted with some pleasure that the boat in question was named Bushwood, which is also the name of the fictional country club in said film. I hope they get the joke.
My problem really related to my incorrect use of the topping lift. I figured if I could keep the boom an inch or two over my head and the sail still had 'good shape' then all the safer and better for me.
Today instead, I lowered my rope boom topping lift after I had raised the main and headed out in high-teens wind. I indeed could make a difference in the trim and sail shape by tensioning my vang. Here's a wide angle shot with the vang hauled in. The reefing lines look taut but they were not holding any weight.
To compare, I released the vang and sure enough the boom floated up about 10-12". More twist in the main.
With the vang released the entire boat unsettled. More flopping around, more variations in heel, and a lack of control.
With the vang tensioned, the rig and the boat were much more calm and steady.
I think I will be able to defer reefing to higher wind levels by using the topping lift and vang as intended instead of what I was doing incorrectly.
Also, I am upgrading my running rigging and gear. This vang practice process has helped me decide to go ahead and buy new blocks and line for the existing vang as a starting point. I can move to a rigid vang later if need be.
On an entirely separate note:
As I was making my way out of my local marina neighborhood, I saw a corpulent motor yacht that was reminiscent Rodney Dangerfield's boat in Caddyshack. As it passed, I noted with some pleasure that the boat in question was named Bushwood, which is also the name of the fictional country club in said film. I hope they get the joke.
Yes, the topping lift should be floppy while sailing. Its only role is to hold the boom up during the act of reefing.
The vang can certainly be played to dump wind, and to increase the twist at the upper leach. Racing crews do it to deal with gusts and excessive heel. But playing the vang is a lot of work for casual sailing, and the vang needs to be led back to a winch.
An easier way to deal with gusts when the mainsail is overpowered is the traveler. It's right there handy, and can be dropped and hauled back up., It doesn't change the twist. Twist is controlled by the mainsheet.
All of which to simply say that I go to the traveler before the vang.
The vang can certainly be played to dump wind, and to increase the twist at the upper leach. Racing crews do it to deal with gusts and excessive heel. But playing the vang is a lot of work for casual sailing, and the vang needs to be led back to a winch.
An easier way to deal with gusts when the mainsail is overpowered is the traveler. It's right there handy, and can be dropped and hauled back up., It doesn't change the twist. Twist is controlled by the mainsheet.
All of which to simply say that I go to the traveler before the vang.
"Hey! You scratched my anchor."
Tom, that is so funny. Sometimes people are surprisingly funny. I remember when my kids were in Middle School. They came home one day to tell me that the school play was Monty Python's Holly Grail.
On the other topic... On my old Ericson, The topping lift is used to hold the boom up when the main was down. When the main was up, the topping lift is eased so it would no affect the sail trim. On the new boat. No topping lift. However, I always ease off the vang completly when raising the main and when putting a reef in. Makes a huge difference in the way the boat sails and in the shape of the sail when reefed. BTW, you could have asked Dolores. She's great with sail trim but sometimes will not volunteer info unless asked as to not sound like a Know-it-all.
Tom, that is so funny. Sometimes people are surprisingly funny. I remember when my kids were in Middle School. They came home one day to tell me that the school play was Monty Python's Holly Grail.
On the other topic... On my old Ericson, The topping lift is used to hold the boom up when the main was down. When the main was up, the topping lift is eased so it would no affect the sail trim. On the new boat. No topping lift. However, I always ease off the vang completly when raising the main and when putting a reef in. Makes a huge difference in the way the boat sails and in the shape of the sail when reefed. BTW, you could have asked Dolores. She's great with sail trim but sometimes will not volunteer info unless asked as to not sound like a Know-it-all.
I think of my vang as setting the maximum amount of twist I am willing to accept (more vang tension for less twist, less vang tension for more twist), and then my actual active trim is done with sheet and traveler, as has been previously mentioned. I usually leave mine alone, for the most part... though I know "vang sheeting" upwind in heavier conditions can be very useful, especially with the relatively short cabintop traveler on the 32-3. It's something I need to play with more.
The only time I use my boom lift WHILE sailing is when it's drifter conditions... 0-3 knots and the boat is moving primarily via prayer power. I find that its usefulness in holding up a sail shape in light wind is very, very quickly made obsolete when you have even 4-5 steady knots to get moving with. But then it dies back down to 0-2......
I'd love a rigid vang for these conditions... going forward on the boom is very annoying in already annoyingly light conditions
The only time I use my boom lift WHILE sailing is when it's drifter conditions... 0-3 knots and the boat is moving primarily via prayer power. I find that its usefulness in holding up a sail shape in light wind is very, very quickly made obsolete when you have even 4-5 steady knots to get moving with. But then it dies back down to 0-2......
I'd love a rigid vang for these conditions... going forward on the boom is very annoying in already annoyingly light conditions
I've seen a large variety in (cabin-top) traveler lengths on these Ericsons. Some are only as wide as the companionway "doghouse" while others extend out as far as the grab-rails. For upwind sailing, it seems like a lot of the vang-work could be accomplished with a lengthy (wide) traveler.
However, if you have a narrow traveler, it's likely a much simpler and easier upgrade to improve the vang rather than to replace the whole traveller setup.
However, if you have a narrow traveler, it's likely a much simpler and easier upgrade to improve the vang rather than to replace the whole traveller setup.
@Christian Williams
1. For your Spectra topping lift, I presume the lifting end is bare spectra eye-spliced with a thimble, and the working end has some sort of a cover to make it easier on the hands? Any pictures would be interesting if available.
2. You run your reefing tacks into downhauls that can be operated from the cockpit, affording a good margin of safety in the reefing process (rather than working on the cabin top hooking up dog-bones). Is your topping lift also led to the cockpit in some manner, or do you skip the topping lift when reefing in engaging sea conditions?
Thank you.
1. For your Spectra topping lift, I presume the lifting end is bare spectra eye-spliced with a thimble, and the working end has some sort of a cover to make it easier on the hands? Any pictures would be interesting if available.
2. You run your reefing tacks into downhauls that can be operated from the cockpit, affording a good margin of safety in the reefing process (rather than working on the cabin top hooking up dog-bones). Is your topping lift also led to the cockpit in some manner, or do you skip the topping lift when reefing in engaging sea conditions?
Thank you.
Hi Tom,
Yes, the working end of the topping lift is standard double braid--that is, where it exits the boom to be cleated. The 40' TL itself is 1/4" Spectra, and the internal portion (replacing the wire leader) is 3/16th Spectra. Blog entry.
The topping lift cleats on the boom, I rarely have to adjust it.
Yes, the working end of the topping lift is standard double braid--that is, where it exits the boom to be cleated. The 40' TL itself is 1/4" Spectra, and the internal portion (replacing the wire leader) is 3/16th Spectra. Blog entry.
The topping lift cleats on the boom, I rarely have to adjust it.
Thank you - blog entry is very helpful on the construction.
As to the use, I think you mean you slacken the lift once underway and don’t use the boom lift to facilitate your reefing process.
Brad Johnson
Member III
I bought a Vang Master boom Vang for my E26-2 , they were great to work with and the Vang is a piece of jewelry, could not be happier with that upgrade
RE TL adjustment: On my boat, the cockpit boom height with mainsail furled (controlled by the topping lift setting) is such that no changes in TL length are necessary when the mainsail is raised to sail. If I reef, the TL goes slack some and can be reset, although I often don't bother. This convenience probably varies from boat model to model.
p.gazibara
Member III
Am I missing something? It doesn’t look like you have a mainsheet attached.
I know, right? The mainsheet is very close to the mast on my 32-200 boom.
Some of it is the distortion of the wide angle photo, but also the relation of the traveler placement vs. the companionway on the 32-200. I wrote extensively about my rig update and new equipment here: Bryan started a good thread discussing main sheet rigging, and I have now adopted the @Christian Williams / @vanilladuck / @Geoff W. opposing-fiddle-block-outboard-point-loaded mainsheet rig.
Im not quite sure I agree with all this as stated. The main twist is controlled with a combination of main sheet and traveler (and vang also). When upwind you want your boom about centerline but you still want to twist the main to account for sheer or depower the top as needed To do that you need to raise the traveler and ease the sheet to allow the boom end up without letting it out. Racing we use the traveler almost exclusively to trim the main in/out to control helm pressure and deal with gusts, but dropping the traveler will increase your twist a bit, its all interconnected. And if you crank your vang in hard upwind (usually something to avoid) you'll get a flat untwisted panel for a main which can be trimmed with the sheet alone as if you were playing the traveler. This "vang-sheeting" is sometimes useful in super-gusty situations but is the best option for boats with no traveler (or broken traveler!)
frick
Sustaining Member
A boom vang does two things really well.
Control the position of the boom.
And
Control the shape to the leach of the main.
It's all about powering or depowering the main by Chang in ng the shape.
Depowering means flating the shape of the foil.
Powering up mean increase the foil shape of the main
I can watch the could grow by easing the vang or shrink and flatten by pulling the vang tighter.
Rick
Control the position of the boom.
And
Control the shape to the leach of the main.
It's all about powering or depowering the main by Chang in ng the shape.
Depowering means flating the shape of the foil.
Powering up mean increase the foil shape of the main
I can watch the could grow by easing the vang or shrink and flatten by pulling the vang tighter.
Rick
Bepi
E27 Roxanne
It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and you've got the stock market beat, but the man worthwhile is the man who can smile when his pants are too tight in the seat.
Almost a quote from "Caddy Shack".... !