Vang me, vang me

[Barnacle Jim]

Ahoy,

Could some of the ne'er-do-wells and other respectable sailors throw a lifeline my way? I'm trying to rig the Mac 26S this summer, at least as much as I can afford.
Not sure that I am a travelin' man, but everyone seems to have a traveler. That kinda of makes me think that I may need one, and then someone comes along and says,
"A vang will do just as well, or almost as well."

Well, vang me. I don't know what to do. Yes, I've read the posts on the board here and elsewhere, but something's not connecting. I would welcome some opinions (informed and otherwise) on the use of a traveler. Several of you have one, and one sailor even built one himself. I suppose I might be able to do something like that, but maybe not. At any rate, some of you have a Harken, but what kit did you use or parts? I would be more than willing to harken to ye words.

Just sittin' around drinkin' with the rest of the guys
Six rounds bought, and I bought five
Dang me, dang me
Ought to take a rope and hang me.
-- Roger Miller

Now, I don't even drink, but the words of the silly song sure seem to fit me.
I'm always a dollar short and a day late.



Fair and sometimes unfair winds,


Barnacle Jim

[81venture]

I have a spare traveler I do not plan to use

won't fit the VN23 curved stern

Dave

[Whipsyjac]

Jim when your a few dubloons short for refitting your galleon consider a double mainsheet setup as it's half the cost ; )

Search the forum here and you'll find good advice and pictures.

Willy

[Russ]

Just sail your boat and have fun.
After that, you can install a vang if you want to keep,the boom from lifting up. A traveler can do that also. But most of all just have fun and don't worry about sail shape unless you plan on racing.

[mastreb]

I would do a double mainsheet. Much less expensive, much less work, and easily modified. You simply rig a mainsheet to port and one to starboard, and then tension either or both as necessary to position the boom. Keeps the mainsheet out of the cockpit and companionway as well.

[JohnWood]

I used my mast raising pulley system as a vang. Actually, I rigged it that way thinking it was the vang and it took me a bit to figure out why it had so much extra line. I did need to install two new bales, one on the boom and one on the mast. These are the bails that I installed:
http://www.duckworksbbs.com/hardware/ri ... /index.htm
I got two "RL-334-L" and they needed a little bending on the vise to fit.

My opinion is that the function of a vang and a traveler overlap a bit, but they are not a substitute for each other. I think that a vang is a safety item, and I would not want to be without one in big wind. You don't want your boom flying up in the air without control while going downwind, a condition that can cause sudden windward roll, lack of control and unexpected, violent jibe. A traveler does not really provide this protection. A traveler is nice for racing and you want to tweak the curve of the leech. Unless I start racing, I'm not going to install a traveler. Too much hassle, and intrusion in a nice place to sit and pass through the hatch. The one downside is that you cannot raise the roof with it rigged.

[Tomfoolery]

I think that a vang is a safety item, and I would not want to be without one in big wind. You don't want your boom flying up in the air without control while going downwind, a condition that can cause sudden windward roll, lack of control and unexpected, violent jibe. A traveler does not really provide this protection.

Add a preventer along with the traveler, and the boom won't go anywhere almost no matter what. With a main sail as small as these boats use, a single line with a snap hook, passed through a block snap hooked to a stantion, is all you need, terminated at the winch or back at the stern cleat for easy access if it needs to be loosened in a hurry. Those two working together gives total control of the sail and boom.

[JohnWood]

If I had a lot mor time and resources, I'd like to build something like the vang on a 49er. See it here:
http://www.mauriprosailing.com/us/categ ... -Gnav.html

Instead of pulling down from below, the boom, it pushes down from above. This would not interfere with raising the companion way hatch. It also doubles as a topping lift, so the boom wouldn't fall into to cockpit when you release the main halyard. On the 49er, the device goes inside of a sleeve in the sail. Another option would be a wishbone design, like a windsurfing boom, that goes around the sail.