Re: Inexpensive Vang

rye gewalt (ryeg@vais.net)
Wed, 15 Sep 1999 13:37:39 -0400


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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Tom:

I wondered how you did it for under thirty bucks. I never thought about moving the becket down to the block. I had a becket on the fiddle block and already had a regular double block. I agree that your system has enough "poop" for both the 15 and the 19'. Mine has enough pull that I can almost bend the boom --- or at least it's strong enough to hold and pull the hold boom down during big blows.

I enjoy finding inexpensive ways to do things --- it must be my Midwestern German, post depression, Lutheran upbringing. I've certainly got the spare change to buy a pre-made vang, but I get a kick out of working it out my own way. I probably spend just as much on gas mileage looking for the right parts, but it's good entertainment --- since there's nothing good on TV anyway.

My Cheap Barton furler system is still working great. I updated the pictures and text on its little web page. If you are interested in my hundred dollar furler system, it's shown at:

http://www.vais.net/~ryeg/BartonFurler2.htm

I updated the web page because I got a new (cheap --- 'er, inexpensive) digital camera and had to do something useful with it other than taking pictures of the dogs. WARNING: The dog page is coming soon....

I pulled Grace out of the water today in anticipation of Floyd coming inland and hitting this area. We are all hoping it will go back out to sea, but it sure looks like it's gonna run inland and up the coast. We already have light, quiet, rain which seems to be the way it usually starts.....

Regards
Rye Gewalt
Grace II, WWP 18 short rig
WSM on Potomac R.

Thomas Grimes wrote:

> Rye
>
> I think that the vang that I made must have been a bit cheaper than yours---I used a single block at the mast end of the vang rather than the double block that you used.
>
> My vang doesn't have as much mechanical advantage as yours does, but it's adequate for a P-14/15. I used a boom bale on the boom instead of an eye strap, since my boom is wood, and a short piece of 1/4" rope to tie around the mast instead of an eye strap. Your double block with a v-jam cleat looks exactly like mine. I used 1/4" line instead of anything bigger--plenty good enough for a 68 sq ft sail.
>
> Regards
>
> Tom