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hard vang means no topping lift?

5K views 14 replies 5 participants last post by  SailNet Archive 
#1 ·
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. :)

-- James
 
#3 ·
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.
 
#4 ·
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.
 
#5 ·
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.

Jeff
 
#6 ·
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.

Jim
 
#7 ·
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?

-- James
 
#11 ·
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.

Respectfully,
Jeff
 
#13 ·
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.

Jeff
 
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