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Drilling into mast & boom

4K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  ozsailer 
#1 ·
Picked up new traveller and solid vang. :)
I'm am very comfortable with installing new traveller- filling old holes, drilling new, backer plates and so on.
I need to find a resource or two regarding the instal of my solid boom vang. I'm uneasy drilling into the mast without a solid plan. Any advice on procedure or steps would be appreciated. I wouldn't take issue with even the most rudimentary advice.
I have been told that I should install the vang with a rate of 80% compressed , with the boom at a right angle to the mast....ideas?

Cheers,
Jimmy
 
#3 ·
Picked up new traveller and solid vang. :)
I'm am very comfortable with installing new traveller- filling old holes, drilling new, backer plates and so on.
I need to find a resource or two regarding the instal of my solid boom vang. I'm uneasy drilling into the mast without a solid plan. Any advice on procedure or steps would be appreciated. I wouldn't take issue with even the most rudimentary advice.
Read all the instructions
Measure twice - at least :)

If you work alone use tape or lashings to keep the bracket in place while fitting.

Drill the first hole (at one corner) if you are going to uses screws tap the first hole and fix the bracket in place (if you use rivets just insert a rivet (w/o poping it) in the hole to get the bracket aligned)
Make sure the bracket is aligned.
Make the next hole diagonally at the opposite corner, tap and screw .

If you are using rivets I would fix it in the two corners before proceeding with the rest of the holes.

Drill the remaining holes, tap the remaining holes.
Use a compound (Duralac/teffgel) to isolate dissimilar metals when you do the final mounting.

I have been told that I should install the vang with a rate of 80% compressed , with the boom at a right angle to the mast
That seem to be a bad advice...it depends of the cut on your sail.

From this http://selden.se/_download.cfm?id=6615&download=6246120&filename=595-854-SET.pdf
Hoist the mainsail, and sheet home hard whilst ensuring
that the Rodkicker does not "bottom".
Leave a little extra play when the boom is at its lowest position.
 
#4 ·
No real thoughts on the boomvang except to follow the manufacturers recomendations, and call them for advice if you have any questions. No one on here has close to the experience they do installing them.

As for the traveler... If you didn't buy a variable space traveler. Take the track you have back, and replace it with one. See Harken Small Boat High-Beam Slide Bolt Track - 1.2 m at Mauri Pro Sailing Store they eliminate all the drilling, filling, cursing, and fighting to install new traveler track.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I installed a Garhauer solid vang a couple of years ago, and it has stood up well to abuse in "the slot". Here is the procedure I used :

There are two goals you are trying to meet :

1) That, with the main sheet in hard, it never ends up fully compressed, as this could snap the boom.

2) Fully extended, you get plenty of lift on the boom so you can see nicely for motoring and reefing is easy (easy to tighten the reefing outhaul)

Set the vang to about 90% compression. Hoist the main, and sheet the main in as hard as you can. It should be flat as a blade. Then offer the vang up and see how it fits. You are aiming for less than 45% angle, vang to boom, so that it will be operating at more like 45% under normal use. In my case, this meant mounting the vang to the mast as low as possible.

Mount the vang to the mast first, then repeat the step above with sheeting the main in hard with the vang at 90% compression. Mark the boom, then you can drill and mount with the main dropped again.

What you can do to leave yourself some adjustment, is only drill the middle pair of the sets of 6 holes. Then if you don't like the fit, you can move back and forth (or up and down) by one set.

I used these 1/4" rivets from McMasterCarr :

McMaster-Carr

Stainless steel, domed, high strength, 2750lb sheer strength EACH. That means you could lift the boat by my vang.

You need a serious riveter for these things.

Here's the thing in use :



Finally, I've found it tremendously useful to have the vang sheet brought back to the cockpit. Now it's possible to adjust it easily, we adjust it a lot.
 
#12 ·
As far as I know very slow speed, cutting grease and a Cobolt drill bit, is for Stainless. Aluminum HS drill bit and a speed what you are comfy with.
 
#13 ·
Hello all,
agree with Simon V, drilling into aluminium just requires a sharp drill and relatively high speed drill. One trick when marking out is to tape the area in masking tape for two reasons, 1) when marking out you can easily mark the tape as opposed to the alumimium and it will not rub off any where near as easily. 2) when drilling the tape will actually assist you set the drill in the correct spot to drill, using a metal centre punch to identify the area to drill then use a small drill to ensure the centre it located correctly. This will ensure that each and every hole lines up (hopefully:D)
 
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