Fitting Garhauer rigid boom vang

[plolic]

I have just received my new Garhauer rigid boom vang. The question I have is how to fit it.

1.) Fit the bottom securing end of the rigid vang onto the stainless steel ring wrapped around the mast, then raise the main sail up, bring the traveler in the middle and sheat in the main sail flat, and then preload the rigid vang's spring fully in and where boom end of it fits on the boom secure it. This way I will have the full travel of the vang to play with for flattening the main sail when required.

2.) Any other way than described above, and if yes, why?

Second question I have is if it would be god to fit some sort of rubber sheeting around the mast where stainless steel ring secures. I believe this would provide somewhat more grip because both the mast and SS ring surfaces are very fine and slippery.

regards/petar

[wcwcwc]

I got my Garhauer vang about three years ago and didn't like the angle it would make when I used a band like they normally supplied. Instead I made a mockup of a fitting which surrounded the eye in the deck collar around the mast and had a machine shop make up the fitting. Then ordered the vang from Garhauer who welded the fitting onto the vang. It has worked very well since then.

The reason for this installation was to decrease the strain on both the vang and the gooseneck by giving the vang a more downward pull.

[sailmon]

Answer to second question - yes rubber sleeve should go between mast and stainless to protect mast laminate and prevent slippage.

[Rick Simonds]

Yes on rubber sleeve. Don't crush the mast. It takes surprisingly little tension to hold this piece.

Look at the swivel piece that is in mast collar. On mine, I turned that piece upside down and made the pull come from from the lowest possible angle. I calculated it at the time and (from memory) it reduced the tension in the vang by something like 8 percent. If yours is the same I would turn that piece upside down.

Your basic method sounds fine, but I would suggest having the vang extended an inch or 2. You don't know what your next sail is going to look like. I'd leave some adjustment for it. Check also that this placement will lift the boom slightly when the vang is fully extended. You want the boom to be lifted in light air.

[Rick Simonds]

Oh, I would mount it first using the center set of holes in the boom fitting. Then you can stand back, eyeball, debate, head scratch and generally look things over. If you like what you see put in the rest of the screws, if not, you can use that set of holes in the forward or aft set of holes in the fitting. It gives you a little bit of the second chance at getting it just right.

[plolic]

Rick,

Thanks a lot for your feedback. That makes sense, i am off to the boat in few minutes to check the arrangement you mentioned.

regards/petar

[gamayun]

Petar,

It would be great to hear how this goes for you. I just ordered the same type vang for my F36 and will install it in the next couple of weeks. San Diego Marine Exchange told me they have this rubber material for the sleeve around the spar. Garhauer said to use bicycle inner tube. He also said that if you mount it in a slightly different location than where you measured, it is possible to get slippage.

Good luck,

Carliane

[plolic]

I fitted one layer of bicycle tire tube and tightened the bolts. Vang has to be preloaded to max by pulling on the vang rope and pulleys and tied off. Main sail needs to be hoisted and sheated in tight and flat. At this position fit the lower part of the rigid vang to the collar and fit the upper one where it fits on the underside of the boom. I used largest size pop rivets i could find in Home Depot but even those were slightly small in comparison to holes drilled in the bracket. If I see any movements or breakage, I'll go with larger size rivets or self tapping screws which I wanted to avoid due to reefing lines passing through the boom andI do not want to get them snagged/damaged/cut.

Sail racing next weekend when I hope to test the vang and its performance.

[gamayun]

That's awesome to hear about the install. Have a great sail!

[plolic]

Update on my Garhauer rigid vang fitting. Went sail racing couple of weeks ago and when upwind i tightened the mainsheet and the vang as well.....
that was a mistake. On the next gybe I released the mainsheet but not the vang as well, so with the smaller 3/16" rivets used to fit it, it popped out from the underside of boom and fell on deck.
I have now purchased 1/4" stainless steel rivets that fit snuggly through the holes drilled in the boom bracket and am looking where I can find the riveter for 1/4" SS rivets as this is not a standard size.
In addition, i am toying with an idea of using the rigid vang for support of the boom falling down only and for pulling the boom down using the original pulleys and rope which are substantially stronger than the pulleys and rope on the new rigid vang. Has anyone done that? Any ideas/suggestions on fitting the boom side of the vang? Garhauer instructions on fitting t recommend using 1/4" hole and #20 1/4" tap. The boom thickness is 1/8' so I'll not get many threads tapping it. Self tapping screws are not good idea due to reefing lines passing through the boom interior and may snag/cut/chafe on the screw tips.