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someone mentioned this to me, and I''d never considered it before. If you have a solid boom vang, does this eliminate the need for a toping lift? I''m smelling a full battened main here.
Maybe I missed something but I''m not getting the connection between a solid vang and a full battened main. I would certainly prefer a full battened main, but I wouldn''t see a problem using a solid vang on any main. I would probably keep my topping lift just for the heck of it anyway.
Maybe I missed something but I''m not getting the connection between a solid vang and a full battened main. I would certainly prefer a full battened main, but I wouldn''t see a problem using a solid vang on any main. I would probably keep my topping lift just for the heck of it though.
In most cases you can eliminate the need for a topping lift when you go to a rigid vang, but there will be times when you will want to rig the main halyard as a topping lift. Most boats end up using the main halyard as a topping lift once the mainsail has been dropped in order to keep the boom from bouncing around too violently.
As to the connection between a full batten mainsail and a rigid vang, there is none at all. Now then, if you are talking about using a full roached sail with full length battens, then the real problem is more likely to be the backstay rather than the topping lift.
There are some exceptions. On my Islander 36, I had problems with the top batten hanging up on the topping lift after I switched to a full batten main. The roach on the new sail was greater than the old conventional batten main.
Each time I tacked, the batten would hang up on the topping lift. I had to keep the topping lift slack so I could flip it over the leach to allow the sail to take its normal shape.
The problem was solved by installing a rigid vang and removing the topping lift. It works very well. I do support the boom with the halyard when not sailing, but the vang holds the boom off the dodger just fine without it.
yhea. I''ve got enough roach right now with my partialy battened main that I catch the topping lift, but not the backstay with my sail, but the sail slips by, and then fills up on the other side after a second. I was afraid it wouldnt do that with a full batten system. I''m ok with using the halyard, or hell, even tying off to the backstay for a topping lift. one less line on the boat is one less thing to break or get in the way.
so... price aside, what are the disadvantages of a solid vang?
None that I can see. Get one powerful enough to really support your boom. Garhauer makes a great one at a great price. It''s heavy but they put good tackle on it and this makes adjusting the vang a one handed operation.
What about twin topping lifts on either side of the boom for y''all with big roach mains. Works for me (gaff.) Let off the leeward one and let the winward one do the work when neccesary. Just a thought.
The only downside to a rigid vang (and it''s a minor one) is that I can no longer use the vang for a preventer. I''ve kept my old vang as a preventer, but it isn''t quite as handy when you have to break it out rather than just move it around on the deck.
In someways not being able to use a vang as a preventer is a good thing. A preventer should be a little stretchy (in case you dip a boom or death roll) and should be releasable quickly and reliably from the cockpit and should allow the boom to move fully across the boat under control. When you use a boom vang as a preventer, there usually is too much friction for a quick and controlable release and rarely is there enough line to be able to allow the boom to fully cross the boat.
On a lot of boats, the lower block in the vang is attached to the mast with a snap shackle that can then be moved to the toerail or ringbolt near the rail to be used as a preventer. Its a bad idea but its done all of the time.
Please disregard the above...for some reason I did''t see some of the dialog before I asked the question.
Jim
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