Topping Lift or Rigid Boom Vang?

[kchunk]

    ive read up on the use of a boom vang but i dont think i fully understand. fill me in if you would. last year i took the vang off (something less to fool with). the boat didnt seem to be adversely affected. i probably wasnt using it correctly. another question. my boat came with a whisker pole. when going downwind, wing and wing how many degrees off the mast should the pole be using the standard 110 jib?

Hi kb1. The idea of the vang is to hold the boom down keeping the sail in a much more efficient shape. When you're close hauled, or running close to the wind, usually your mainsheet has enough tension on it to hold the boom down. However, when you're reaching, anything between a beam reach and running, the mainsheet is eased and usually the only thing holding the boom down is its own weight. When a puff hits the mainsail the boom will tend to rise allowing the sail to twist and lose its shape. This is when a boom vang is needed. It will keep a downward tension on the boom preventing it from rising.

Now, the question is "needed"? If you took yours off and you're happy out there using the wind to make your boat go...forget about the vang. You're not racing, not trying to get every .1 knot from the wind. If adding the vang gives you too many things to fool with it...just leave it off and enjoy the day rather than worry about how to use this or that.

This kinda goes for your whisker pole too. I don't really think of sailing in objective terms of "how many degrees" or "what's the proper method", yadda, yadda, yadda. If you see the boom rising while you're running, maybe trim the vang. If the headsail keeps folding in on you while running, maybe put the whisker pole out. I don't have a whisker pole (wish I did), but I'll just bear off a little rather than run dead downwind.  I'm in no hurry  :cool:

Of course, none of this advice applies to racing.

[mrb]

OK just a question about main sheet traveler on bridge deck.  Doesn't that get kind of crowded when some one tries to enter or exit cabin.  I had one on cabin top once and that wasn't bad but all other boats have been on boom end, so have always wondered about those mid boom systems.

melvin

[mrb]

Ooops the above post was suppost to be in main sheet post area.
melvin

[kchunk]

OK just a question about main sheet traveler on bridge deck.  Doesn't that get kind of crowded when some one tries to enter or exit cabin. 

Yep...that's one of the two reasons I don't had a mid-boom sheeting system. You'll find on larger boats, with a bit more real estate, the traveler is located forward of the companionway. Unfortunately, on our smaller boats mid boom is right about the companionway.  :-/

[Shawn]

[You're not racing, not trying to get every .1 knot from the wind.

The other use for the vang is to depower the main in heavy air by keeping the sail flatter.

Shawn

[kickingbug1]

 as always i receive the best advice. thanks fellas i will try the vang the way you suggested and i might just try the whisker pole. give my crew something to do. damn i just want to get on the water.