> But YES! Imagine your vang separating on a great downwind run, and an
> unexpected wind shift and uncontrolled jibe with boom arching high over
> your head (45 degrees or more!) and catching the backstay with the boat
> accelerating off the back of a steep wave! One time, the boat became so
> overpowered, rudder became marginal in maintaining steerage and than
> split in half when rounding the leward mark! We quickly built a
> massive rudder that night (race next day) to allow such
> sailing/hydraulic pressures. Will show you the big ply-dinosaur rudder
> when you come by! Now have a reasonable mahogony one back on.
>
> These are the "on the edge experiences" that keel boats of the same size
> as our boats do not have to be concerned about! And I would never
> trust my vang to hold the massive area of the main on a run and a
> surprise jibe under the above conditions! My two cents anyway!!
>
> Bottom line - I second your favorite add-on as telltales on the sail,
> shrouds, EVERYWHERE as they will also warn of possible jibe! And CD
> player, all your add-ons are essentials!
>
> More later! Larry of Monterey YUUKI HMS18
>
>
Hi Larry and Webgang,
I don't trust vangs that are attached with rivets that can be pulled out
easily (with tensile force along the axis of the rivet). That's why I have
always advocated using bails to attach a vang. The stress on the fastener
that holds a bail to the boom or mast is a shearing force, not a tensile
(pulling force)
Eyestraps attached with rivets are too easy to pull out ( a tensile stress).
Bails attached with thru bolts all the way thru the boom and rivets or
tapped machine screw into the mast are the most reliable way to do it.
The other safe way to attach a vang to the mast is with a plate under the
maststep or tabernacle.
For illustrations of using bails for attaching a vang, see my web pages:
http://members.aol.com/jblumhorst/HomePage/Rigging/vangs.htm
http://members.aol.com/jblumhorst/HomePage/Rigging/BendyVang.htm
For pictures of a mast-step plate, see
http://members.aol.com/jblumhorst/HomePage/Rigging/BendyVang.htm
BTW, this is true for the eyestrap at the back of the P19 boom for the double
block. A riveted eyestrap is a very "unshippy" way to do it. You won't find
that on my boom!
Regards,
Judy B.