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E27 Boom Vang Ideas

stuartm80127

Member II
Hi All,

I am looking to install a Boom Vang on my 1976 E27. I perceive the need to do such when I will be in a following sea with the wind on my aft quarter. I intend to secure the vang to a stanchion base on the appropriate side. My stanchion bases are reinforced with backing plates. The mainsheet connects to the end of the boom and secures to the traveller at the base of the pedestal.

I am curious to know who has a boom vang on their E27 along with the mainsheet connected to the end of the boom. How did you secure the vang to the boom? Pictures, drawings and or good description would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Stuart


My thoughts:

1) Add boom vang about midway along the boom.

2) Defender sells a 4.5 inch long and 3.0 inch wide Boomkicker Boom Bail.

3) Drill a 3/8 hole thru the boom and installing a 5/16 bolt with a small aluminum collar much like was done on the main (fits the width of the boom) and then using a lock nut on the threaded end to hold it all in place.

4) I have a boom vang with snap shackles on both ends.

5) Secure vang to stanchion base on respective side.
 

Jeff Asbury

Principal Partner
It will be interesting to hear what others have to say about my Vang set up. Look at the photo and you can see how the yellow dashed line is routed back to the cockpit. If you have a 1978 model E-27 your main sheet probably connects to the end of the boom. My 1973 has the traveler over the companion way and has a mid boom sheeting system and the Vang is not as crucial in regards to sail trim.

I have a Vang purchase with snap shackles that connect to a deck organizer at the mast step and the other end connects to a bail that is only a couple feet back from the mast on the boom. Then the line runs through a cheek block on the deck that runs back to a cam cleat at the cockpit.

This works for me. Before I ran it back to the cockpit it was a hassle to reach the fiddle block with a cam adjust the tension. The line drawing depicts how my system was before I ran it back to the cockpit.
 

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Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Hi Stuart,

I added a block to my standard vang to get more purchase through somewhat of a cascading system. Like Jeff I also ran the vang line back to the cockpit. You might think about about adding a BoomKicker they are nice to have for sail shape and you can get rid of the topping lift.

Where the vang attaches to the boom there is a padeye that comes through a slot in the boom and was attached from inside the boom, kind of.

I can get some better photos of the vang area if you want. For now I have this.
 

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Randy Rutledge

Sustaining Member
Mark
I would like to see more shots of the hatch covers and info on how the glass or lexan is attached to the frame. The wood work looks great and is worthy of you sharing shots with us.
 

Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Thanks for the compliments. Stephan (Wolly Bugger) private messaged me recently looking for photos of the companionway doors on Lotus Flower so I added some photos to my "pictures and albums" under the Community area here.

I have posted regarding hatch stuff in the past, here's a link with some discussion about lens attachment; http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=4959&highlight=hatch

John "My Micheal" was my inspiration on the hatches.

Sven, yes that is a furling asymmetrical. I made a similar setup on my old boat Coaster an E23. It's convenient having the asymmetrical ready to launch/douse from the cockpit at any time. I have to set it up in the slip before I head out but once the sprit is assembled and the sail is hoisted it's ready for action. I do find that I use the asymmetrical more than I should ;-). There is one photo of the fuler (continuous line) in the Pics & Albums area.
 

stuartm80127

Member II
Thanks Jeff and Mark for sharing your ideas and pictures of your respective boom vangs.

So, in both cases the actual vang is attached to the boom about 2..3 feet back from the mast and the attachment point to the boom is a pad eye secured by #10 or 1/4" screws?

This is my chief remaining concern as I don't know how strong this fitting should be. Next time you go to your boat, could you please snap me a picture? thanks much. I have until May to get this done.

Both of your Vangs have the attachment points at the base of the mast. I would either need to get a new plate for my mast or just add in a bail to the base of my mast. By using Snap shackle on both Fiddle blocks with 4:1 purchase, I could then move the system from the base of the mast to a Stanchion base for use as a Preventer.


Mark, curious but would a boomkicker let me really hank down on the mainsheet to keep the boom from swinging back and forth when I am in a rolly anchorage? At 6'8" I have to worry about those things on my lil E27:). With my topping lift I can at least keep the boom from swinging around. When I replaced my standing rigging, I didn't attach a hook to the back-stay to secure the boom - one more thing to forget when raising the mainsail and yahoo...


Mark, BTW, that is the nicest looking hatch I have ever seen on a boat. Great job. I have to get me one real soon as learning how to build a hatch right is pushing my wood-working abilities. :egrin:



Thanks,

Stuart
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Mark, curious but would a boomkicker let me really hank down on the mainsheet to keep the boom from swinging back and forth when I am in a rolly anchorage? At 6'8" I have to worry about those things on my lil E27:). With my topping lift I can at least keep the boom from swinging around. When I replaced my standing rigging, I didn't attach a hook to the back-stay to secure the boom - one more thing to forget when raising the mainsail and yahoo...
Stuart
_________
On this point alone... we learned this when we bought our first sailboat with a solid vang, our present Olson.
Due to springs compressing in the vang tube (or the rods flexing on the one you asked about) the boom will indeed swing from side to side. But, that's only if you let it do so. What I do is to always store the main halyard when not sailing by clipping it to a ring at the end of the boom. This does two good things --- gets that halyard away from the mast so it will not chafe and bang on the spar, and, lets me then sock up tight on the main sheet and lock the boom into position.

Only when preparing to hoist sail or stow the sail do we have to keep in mind that the boom can wander several feet to either side due to vang return-force compression.

On the whole, having a solid ("rod") vang is Way Better than putting up with the old support line/wire from the masthead. It was always hanging up on a batten pocket, for instance.

While all systems have their plusses and minuses, I would never go back to the old boom topping lift.

Best,
Loren
 

Jeff Asbury

Principal Partner
So, in both cases the actual vang is attached to the boom about 2..3 feet back from the mast and the attachment point to the boom is a pad eye secured by #10 or 1/4" screws?

Stuart

I would not use a pad eye on the boom, use a bail on both the boom and the mast. Tension on that vang might just pull a pad eye right out. Just measure the diameter of both the boom and mast to get the right bails.

I have often thought about a boom kicker but my trusty topping lift is a hell of a lot cheaper. I am sure you could still attach a cord to you aft stay to secure your boom. There is hardware (even Shroud cleats) out there that clamp on. Check out http://www.defender.com for both the bails & rigging clamps.

I sail ECONO!

IMHO

Bails: http://www.defender.com/productsearchresult.jsp

Shroud Cleat: http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|295771|312070&id=205097
 

Glyn Judson

Moderator
Moderator
Getting that boom tamed or out of the way.

Stuart, Failing all other ideas, a simple, cheap and effective way of handling that swinging boom might be to do what we did on our boat by simply getting it out of the way altogether. I attached a snap shackle to the end of the main sheet fiddle block at the traveler end and when on a mooring, etc, I simply move the boom over to the starboard toe rail and secure it tightly there. I'm sure you too could come up with a similar scheme by using the open part of a turnbuckle or even a dedicated pad eye like the Bristol Bronze BB1304 as can be seen here: http://www.bristolbronze.com/images/BBcatalog1.pdf attached to the side deck, out of the way of bare feet next to a chain plate. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA
 

Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Hi Stuart,

6'8", you're a tall guy.

I do what Loren does with the main halyard, attach it to the end of the boom and cinch it up. My E27 still has the sliding gooseneck so when I am putting the boat away I push up on the aft end of the boom while tightening the main halyard. The boom pivots on the BoomKicker (gooseneck slides down) and I get a least a foot more head clearance in the cockpit.

The BoomKicker doesn't limit how tight you can pull the mainsheet.

The padeye setup for my vang came with the boat, it's not the best. I do wonder about boom bails in the middle of the boom with their large diameter bolt. It seems a mast hound might better distribute the load. Just a guess.
 

steven

Sustaining Member
so why does everyone have the vang line running aft? I've never adjusted mine. Just keep it snugged so that the boom - which is pinned at the gooseneck - is perpendicular to the mast.

--Steve
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
so why does everyone have the vang line running aft? I've never adjusted mine. Just keep it snugged so that the boom - which is pinned at the gooseneck - is perpendicular to the mast.

--Steve

Racing, especially around short-course marks, requires quick and regular sail-shape changes. Whether you send someone forward to adjust the vang up there on the house top, or you can do this from the front on the cockpit, it will make you faster when you pay attention to this part of your main sail-shape tool set.

For more leisurely sailing, where you load or unload the vang in advance of changing from the the beat to the reach or the run ahead of time - without the pressure of a looming mark-rounding in heavy traffic --- either way works fine. (strictly imho)
;)
Our boat came with the factory setup of a cam cleat on the bottom set of vang blocks, necessitating a trip up on the cabin top to make changes. If we were short course racing I would bring it aft.

Also, if I were routinely sailing in waves, where boat motion makes it more hazardous to go forward, I would have moved that line on aft to the rear of the house top long ago.

Same for our outhaul cleat on the front of the boom extrusion, by the way.

So the answer is: "It depends."
;)

Regards,
Loren
 

stuartm80127

Member II
E27 Boom Vang - Thanks

Thanks to all who responded :egrin:. There are many great ideas here on the Boom Vang and securing the boom.

I have decided to use two Bails, one about 5 inches from the base of my mast and one at about 3.5 feet aft of gooseneck on Boom - hopefully won't hit my head there :). Parts at Defender: Boom 614699 and Mast 614704. Will use a compression collar on the bolt through boom and through Mast as was done for the attachment points of the upper and lower shrouds to the mast. I will post a drawing and some pics when done sometime between now and May.

Thanks again and hopefully you all along the relatively warm West coast will get some sailing in for me in the next few weeks.
 
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