The attachment of the lower end of the Eclipse boom vang to the mast has a loop fastened by two bolts. The lower bolt pulled out in use and I'm wondering if there is a better designed fasting method.
Anyone out there experience this yet on the eclipse or other Com-Pac boats?
It has been suggested that instead of the two bolts thru the track part of the lower mast, I should fasten the boom vang to a collar which goes around the mast and has multiple bolts into the side of the mast. Sort of a yoke arrangement.
I own an Eclipse and haven't had that problem, however the orginal owner mentioned he had to put bigger screws into the mast. We sail in strong winds where I am from and we have had no more problems. I might also mention that the Eclipse likes to have the vang loose when sailing on the wind in heavy air as it allows the wind to spill out of the top in the gusts and make the Eclipse more stable. I do use the vang when sailing down wind but seldom when on the wind.
Skip - Thanks for the reply, especially for the info on how to use a boom vang properly. I suspect that I caused the damage by improper use and I will take your advice and try larger bolts on the repair job.