Topping Lift
- Thread starter Ian
- Start date
If ya gotta have one of those unruly pieces of line... I would go Amsteel or equivalent in a small diameter. 3/16" maybe.
Plan B: For your birthday, request a rod vang.
Plan B: For your birthday, request a rod vang.
The one I have was built locally by a marine machine shop and the design was later sold to Hood Yacht Systems. I bought it over a decade ago from the builder/designer.
http://www.pompanette.com/pompweb.n...0c0eb8009c2af671852567bc0080127f?OpenDocument
It is sold nowadays by Pompanette.
Really Excellent quality, but other designs now may be cheaper and just as effective in actual use. I would check on Garhauer or Boom Kicker.
http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=40
http://www.boomkicker.com/
Happy shopping!
LB
ps: if I had known how great a solid vang was, I would have put on one our prior 26 foot sailboat!
http://www.pompanette.com/pompweb.n...0c0eb8009c2af671852567bc0080127f?OpenDocument
It is sold nowadays by Pompanette.
Really Excellent quality, but other designs now may be cheaper and just as effective in actual use. I would check on Garhauer or Boom Kicker.
http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=40
http://www.boomkicker.com/
Happy shopping!
LB
ps: if I had known how great a solid vang was, I would have put on one our prior 26 foot sailboat!
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Jeff Asbury
Principal Partner
Boom Kicker
Defender has them that will fit your boat for $199.00 I will say one thing, a piece of line is a bit cheaper. At WM the same thing is about $250.00
http://www.defender.com
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|319697|311639|2611|311599&id=96724
Defender has them that will fit your boat for $199.00 I will say one thing, a piece of line is a bit cheaper. At WM the same thing is about $250.00
http://www.defender.com
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|319697|311639|2611|311599&id=96724
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SASSY
Member II
I was also going to install a solid boom vang on our E-34 in order to eliminate the topping lift. A friend of ours who is an avid cruiser recomended against it. The standard boom vang is a little more versitile and can be used in multiple applications such as a preventer when running down wind. By uncliping it from the mast and running it to a stantion base it will prevent an accidental jybe, and also control sail twist. Not only that, if I install a solid vang I will no longer be able to open the middle hatch as it opens aft.
Andy
Andy
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Jeff Asbury
Principal Partner
Hey Ian,
Welcome back. Yeah, that Channel Islands thing never happened. Eventually everybody backed out and I was the only one interested in still going, then the Guy that was going to go with me couldn't get the time off. It's all about Time and Timing I guess. Hopefully us So Cal Ericson owners will gather at Two Harbors in the first week of May. Check out the post in the So Cal Section. Are you at King Harbor?
I had nice day sails the last two weekends down here in Pedro / Long Beach. I am really starting to get the Catalina Itch!! Pretty sure I will get to the Island before the May Gathering. Keep in touch!
Welcome back. Yeah, that Channel Islands thing never happened. Eventually everybody backed out and I was the only one interested in still going, then the Guy that was going to go with me couldn't get the time off. It's all about Time and Timing I guess. Hopefully us So Cal Ericson owners will gather at Two Harbors in the first week of May. Check out the post in the So Cal Section. Are you at King Harbor?
I had nice day sails the last two weekends down here in Pedro / Long Beach. I am really starting to get the Catalina Itch!! Pretty sure I will get to the Island before the May Gathering. Keep in touch!
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Solid vangs
Well, even if you use a solid vang you can still rig a preventer, so that would not keep me from enjoying all of the real benefits. For Ericsons-it is true that they can interfere with the mid hatch opening, but the solution is to reverse the hinge so it opens facing aft. This is much better when sailing as it reduces the spray which might enter the cabin....
The bennies truly outshine the 1 or 2 minor negatives-true boom support, more precise twist control, simplification of deck hardware, fewer lines and blocks, etc....
Back to a topping lift, an easy trick for the smaller E-boats is a very short line attached to the backstay a foot or so above the boom height, with a shackle on the end to afix to the end of the boom. This way you don't have line flapping around all along the leech of the mainsail, and it is short enough that you can just let it hang after you have removed it from the sail (once it is hoisted). The downside of this is that you can't use it when reefing (but you should not need one if you reef correctly)-it is just to support the boom when you are not sailing...
Enjoy!
S
Well, even if you use a solid vang you can still rig a preventer, so that would not keep me from enjoying all of the real benefits. For Ericsons-it is true that they can interfere with the mid hatch opening, but the solution is to reverse the hinge so it opens facing aft. This is much better when sailing as it reduces the spray which might enter the cabin....
The bennies truly outshine the 1 or 2 minor negatives-true boom support, more precise twist control, simplification of deck hardware, fewer lines and blocks, etc....
Back to a topping lift, an easy trick for the smaller E-boats is a very short line attached to the backstay a foot or so above the boom height, with a shackle on the end to afix to the end of the boom. This way you don't have line flapping around all along the leech of the mainsail, and it is short enough that you can just let it hang after you have removed it from the sail (once it is hoisted). The downside of this is that you can't use it when reefing (but you should not need one if you reef correctly)-it is just to support the boom when you are not sailing...
Enjoy!
S
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Mindscape
Member III
Solid Vang vs. Boomkicker
I think this remains on topic, if not I'm sorry to take the thread off into the wilderness.
Seth or anyone - What are your thoughts on a BoomKicker vs. Solid Vang?? I was considering the Boomkicker since it would allow me to still open the hatch without having to take the hatch out and reverse it (a process that I'm concerned could be filled with unexpected issues). I could then get rid of the topping lift.
I think this remains on topic, if not I'm sorry to take the thread off into the wilderness.
Seth or anyone - What are your thoughts on a BoomKicker vs. Solid Vang?? I was considering the Boomkicker since it would allow me to still open the hatch without having to take the hatch out and reverse it (a process that I'm concerned could be filled with unexpected issues). I could then get rid of the topping lift.
With a BoomKicker you leave the soft vang in place, so it can be used as a preventer if you what. As projects go, reversing the rear hatch on an E27 is quite easy.
Seth, how do you reef the main (without TL or solid vang) and keep the boom from dropping?
Seth, how do you reef the main (without TL or solid vang) and keep the boom from dropping?
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Boomkicker vs vang
Both work well, but the Boom kicker does not truly support the boom the way the solid vang or topping lift does. Everyone I know who uses one still leaves the main halyard on the boom to hold it up when not sailing..
It does provide enough reverse push to deal with all sail trim issues and when reefing, but it is not a replacement for the topping lift (if the purpose of the TL is for non sailing boom support)..
That is all..
Both work well, but the Boom kicker does not truly support the boom the way the solid vang or topping lift does. Everyone I know who uses one still leaves the main halyard on the boom to hold it up when not sailing..
It does provide enough reverse push to deal with all sail trim issues and when reefing, but it is not a replacement for the topping lift (if the purpose of the TL is for non sailing boom support)..
That is all..
sterling8008
Junior Member
Installed the Garhauer RV-16-1 on my E27. Single line to the cockpit. Great asset for convenient precise sail adjustments especially when racing. Installation must be well thought out. Can crack open the center hatch in its current location, good enough for me.
Walter Pearson
Member III
I also installed a Garhauer rigid vang on my E27 and as always am impressed by what you get for your dollar with them. I must be more hatch-challenged than Mark F. as it took some doing for me to get it turned around. I still wanted more hatch opening, so I put the vang tackle above the tubular portion to get more clearance. I had to have a part made to secure the block, but the upside-down approach seems to work.