# Boom vang or mainsheet traveler?



## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

If I get around to it this winter I wanted to start adding some equipment to my very basic Bristol 27. Right now I do not have a boom vang or a mainsheet traveler. If I had to choose, which one do you think I should add first?


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Vang.

The mainsheet traveler will keep the boom down only while it is over the traveler. The vang lets you pull the boom down wherever the boom is.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

I agree. Go with a vang. It will allow much better control of the main when off the wind and can be used as a preventer for the main when going wing-and-wing. The traveler will allow you to better control shape of the main when going upwind, but is not as essential as the vang.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

JimsCAL said:


> I agree. Go with a vang. It will allow much better control of the main when off the wind and can be used as a preventer for the main when going wing-and-wing. The traveler will allow you to better control shape of the main when going upwind, but is not as essential as the vang.


I would agree. On a forced choice between vang and traveler, go with the traveler.

BUT

Do not use a vang as a preventer. Neither your toe rail or boom is deisnged for these forces. Set up a proper one from the boom end to the foredeck (outside the shrouds) and back to the cockpit.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

have to be the vang for mine. I'm onto my first boat with a seriously adjustable traveller (plus seriously adjustable headsail track to boot) and I'm loving it but in order of preference get a vang first.


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## padean (Jul 5, 2001)

I would lean to a traveler. While the vang will help you maintain proper sail shape on a run, the combination of the mainsheet and traveler will also help you maintain good shape out to a beam reach on this boat, and give you much better control over the shape of the main on a close reach of close haul, where the vang would be of limited use on those points without a traveler to position the boom correctly. Therefore, if forced to choose on this boat, I would start with a traveler. 

But.... The traveler will be much more work to install....


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Padean

With the vang holding the boom down as far as desired the mainsheet will allow the boom to be wherever you wish it to be. A vang will allow you to maintain proper sail shape on a run or a beat. When the mainsheet is let out the boom can't go up if the vang is keeping it down.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

I recently added a Garhauer boomvang to my Bristol. It's a solid one so it keeps the boom up. I like it a lot. Avoids a lot of messing with the topping lift (which has been deleted.)

Next project would be to bring the line back to the cockpit.

They are pretty well priced considering the quality and engineering that go into them.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

Since we're on the topic of rigging boom vangs and running the line to the cockpit, I'm wondering: does the cleat have to be at the cockpit, or can I use one of those fiddle-block-mounted cam cleats like the mainsheet has?


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

It could be anywhere you want to lead it to. Most often on the cabintop with halyards and reefing lines. I would use a more solid attachment like a rope clutch 
if it is a solid vang.

Look at the lines piled at the foot of the mast on Mark's boat above. By leading the lines aft through clutches and to a winch you get to keep that mess in the cockpit instead. <g>


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

AdamLein said:


> Since we're on the topic of rigging boom vangs and running the line to the cockpit, I'm wondering: does the cleat have to be at the cockpit, or can I use one of those fiddle-block-mounted cam cleats like the mainsheet has?


I have sailed several boats with the vang cleat on the fiddle block. The only time you really need to adjust a vang is to depower the main by spilling down the top, usually under a spinnaker.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

jackdale said:


> I have sailed several boats with the vang cleat on the fiddle block. The only time you really need to adjust a vang is to depower the main by spilling down the top, usually under a spinnaker.


It's nice to be able to raise the boom (well if you're as tall as me it is) when under power, and with a solid vang that means easing the line.


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## weephee (Oct 25, 2008)

*Boom vang or mainsheet traveler*

If one were to install a vang is there a formula or rule of thumb as to how far out the boom from the mast would be the attachment point.


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## celenoglu (Dec 13, 2008)

I will vote for the traveler. Although I agree a vang is better for trim, I didnot see any body using it. But the traveleri is used.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

The vang is first and foremost, and a good powerful (supporting) vang can do everything a traveller can do for you.. and I consider it a piece of safety equipment, helping to keep gybes under control.

I prefer to have the cleat in the cockpit.. it's an adjustment we make frequently. This is esp true when we're in a good breeze and vanged down hard on the beat, it's imperative to be able to ease the vang quickly if you bear off or you're likely to rip some fittings out (especially if the vang has been 'added' and perhaps not fully and properly engineered.)


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

jackdale said:


> I have sailed several boats with the vang cleat on the fiddle block. The only time you really need to adjust a vang is to depower the main by spilling down the top, usually under a spinnaker.


Exactly. Just make sure you can blow the vang easily going downwind. Think about where you will be, and where you're crew will be. Blowing the vang can save you from a big wipeout.


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## Cptken (Apr 23, 2008)

*re*

I use my traveller probably 10x more than the vang. But I have mid boom sheeting with a very long traveller track. In your case with the narrow stern and boom end sheeting you will bee able to maintain better sail shape with the vang.

+1 on any Garhaurer product, quality built at a reasonable cost. If you decide to go with a soft vang, probably cheaper to buy the hardware from Garhauer and the line seperately. As it will turn into a primary sail control, definitely needs to be controlled from the cockpit, preferably from the helm for when short handed.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Cptken

You say you use your traveler 10x more than the vang. Does this mean you remove the vang? If not it is doing its job.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

Faster said:


> The vang is first and foremost, and a good powerful (supporting) vang can do everything a traveller can do for you.


Yes, but with significantly decreased leverage compared to end-boom sheeting. Also my vang has less purchase than my mainsheet (3:1 vs. 4:1).



> I prefer to have the cleat in the cockpit.. it's an adjustment we make frequently. This is esp true when we're in a good breeze and vanged down hard on the beat, it's imperative to be able to ease the vang quickly if you bear off or you're likely to rip some fittings out (especially if the vang has been 'added' and perhaps not fully and properly engineered.)


What does the vang do on the beat?


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

AdamLein said:


> Yes, but with significantly decreased leverage compared to end-boom sheeting. Also my vang has less purchase than my mainsheet (3:1 vs. 4:1).


Hence the qualification 'powerful'.. the vang on our M242 was 12:1



AdamLein said:


> What does the vang do on the beat?


The vang can provide leech tension when you've run out of traveller on a windy beat. With enough power (and strength in fittings etc) in the vang you can change the main's angle of attack by easing the sheet without changing the sail shape.


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## emoney (Jun 2, 2010)

I would vote for finding a great deal on lightly used components and getting both


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

Thanks for the input everyone. I have a couple issues with the mainsheet that might make me want to tackle both. First, it has a lot of friction. The boom doesn't even go out when I ease the sheet in light air. Not sure if it is the old hardware, or rubbing on the life line. The other is that with the 'A-frame' mainsheet set-up I can't get the boom any further in than the stern quarter. But, I think for safety and control the boom vang should be first.

Regarding running the vang to a cleat on deck or using a block with a cam. On my Catalina 22 I found it easy to cleat and uncleat with the block and cam mounted at the base of the mast. All you have to do is have the end of the line within reach (usually draped into the companionway hatch) and give it a tug.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

Faster said:


> Hence the qualification 'powerful'.. the vang on our M242 was 12:1
> 
> The vang can provide leech tension when you've run out of traveller on a windy beat. With enough power (and strength in fittings etc) in the vang you can change the main's angle of attack by easing the sheet without changing the sail shape.


Hm.... if I had a vang with some real power, it would almost be tempting to get rid of the traveler. I guess the main advantage that the traveler still has is its ability to go to windward.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

Barquito said:


> Thanks for the input everyone. I have a couple issues with the mainsheet that might make me want to tackle both. First, it has a lot of friction. The boom doesn't even go out when I ease the sheet in light air. Not sure if it is the old hardware, or rubbing on the life line. The other is that with the 'A-frame' mainsheet set-up I can't get the boom any further in than the stern quarter. But, I think for safety and control the boom vang should be first.


On several boats I have found that I need to ease the vang slightly to get the boom out to a broad reach when sailing in light air.


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## delite (Nov 2, 2009)

Please excuse my ignorance but how does a vang act as a preventer or help when sailing wing on wing other than it keeps the boom from rising? I have only ever sailed boats with rope vangs and we have tied the boom off to the toe rail or a car on the jib track to act as a preventer. On our Catalina 27 we have a cam cleat on the vang fiddle head at the mast and as Barquito suggests we run the line back to the companion way. On the Catalina I find the traveler to be very useful and rarely make changes to the vang.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

weephee said:


> If one were to install a vang is there a formula or rule of thumb as to how far out the boom from the mast would be the attachment point.


I think you normally attach one end to the mast at the lowest practical point, then make the vang be at 45 degrees to the boom, when the boom is horizontal.

So the distance along the boom would be equal to the one between the boom and the lowest practical mounting point on the mast.

When fitting a solid one it's a little more involved as you have to consider the min and max extension of the piston.

What I did is (and this is more or less what the instructions tell you) fit the vang to the mast at the lowest point, hoist the main, sheet it in as hard as possible, then with the solid vang at its shortest extension, offer the bracket up to the boom and mark it for drilling.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

delite said:


> Please excuse my ignorance but how does a vang act as a preventer or help when sailing wing on wing other than it keeps the boom from rising? I have only ever sailed boats with rope vangs and we have tied the boom off to the toe rail or a car on the jib track to act as a preventer. On our Catalina 27 we have a cam cleat on the vang fiddle head at the mast and as Barquito suggests we run the line back to the companion way. On the Catalina I find the traveler to be very useful and rarely make changes to the vang.


When running some people detach the vang at the mast and then attach it to another point near the shrouds by some means, making it into a preventer.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

Barquito said:


> Thanks for the input everyone. I have a couple issues with the mainsheet that might make me want to tackle both. First, it has a lot of friction. The boom doesn't even go out when I ease the sheet in light air. Not sure if it is the old hardware, or rubbing on the life line. The other is that with the 'A-frame' mainsheet set-up I can't get the boom any further in than the stern quarter. But, I think for safety and control the boom vang should be first.
> 
> Regarding running the vang to a cleat on deck or using a block with a cam. On my Catalina 22 I found it easy to cleat and uncleat with the block and cam mounted at the base of the mast. All you have to do is have the end of the line within reach (usually draped into the companionway hatch) and give it a tug.


Mine was like that when I got got the boat - makes a controlled jibe A LOT of work! In my case the mainsheet diameter was simply too large to pass smoothly through the fiddle block's cleat.

Changed the line to the next smallest size, no more problem. I simply took the fiddle block down to the chandlers and tried a selection of ropes through it until I'd found the largest that would still run smoothly.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Unfortunately it costs a boat buck or two, but spending money on a quality low drag system (whether for mainsheet or traveller or whatever) will reward you every time you go sailing after that. Many boats are poorly equipped with high drag blocks, "travellers" that don't travel etc... these things simply add to the frustration and can slow the learning curve significantly.

Harken, Lewmar, Gerhauer etc all make good gear that will make your life much better while sailing. Some cost more, some less, but all cost something... simply put it will be money well spent.


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

MarkSF said:


> When running some people detach the vang at the mast and then attach it to another point near the shrouds by some means, making it into a preventer.


But a poor preventer. As noted earlier in the thread, end of boom to the bow and back is the way to go for a good preventer.


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## Cptken (Apr 23, 2008)

Brian,
No I leave the vang in place, just slack (soft vang). A couple more reasons, most of my sailing is in light air so I can usually control sail shape with the sheet and traveller. The vang comes into play at about 140 apparent unless we have an unusually windy day, then maybe 110 or 120.

The vang is way too strong to be used as a preventer. I was taught that the preventer should be the weakest link. If are hit by a gust or do an unplanned gybe, it is better to have the preventer part than the boom break. However safety is paramount. My boom is 7' off the cockpit deck so no one will get hurt by the swinging boom.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

Should a preventer have some stretch to it?


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

If you want the preventer to be a weak link why use one? It is there for safety to both people and the rig itself.

And no, a vang is not a good choice for a preventer.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

mitiempo said:


> If you want the preventer to be a weak link why use one? It is there for safety to both people and the rig itself.
> 
> And no, a vang is not a good choice for a preventer.


Quite so - I have a 60ft length of line with a carabiner on one end (attaches to a bail on the end of the boom)


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

As a more or less lifetime (1981) J24 sailor with a windward sheeting car and all manner of possible adjustments i was sure Seafevers old fanged twin main sheet would not perform well

I was convinced to hold off and play with it and it worked so well i went with two new sets of 72 mm Lewmar blocks as the large diameter lets the sheet run much better

There are so many down sides to trying to reach around a wheel to trim a main-sheet on a boat with end boom sheeting i don't know were to start


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Aside from the need to 'adjust twice' on that setup, tommays, you have a lot of control over the boom, esp when it's still over the boat.

That's quite the boom lift over the dodger.. you must have had to have the clew cut higher on the main..

Can't tell from the pic... using a vang??


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

One of the better pieces of hardware Seafever came with was a more of less brand new Hood Stoboom and mainsail and it sits kind of high due to the whole 87 degree angle to roll it up

I was kind of shocked at how white the sail still is

BUT despite everything i have heard about the units it works perfect and i can furl both sails to most any size without leaving the cockpit and while it might not be a round the world piece of hardware its done fine in 30 knot gusts

It also as a Profurl R25 for the foam luff 150 Genoa about 1/2 used up and brand new Lewmar St 30 winches

The sail condition and hardware was a big factor in deciding to restore the hull and i would have it pass if it had junk sails

And for just in case it also has the original boom and a pretty decent normal main and brand new drifter










I am not sure if it will hit the dodger when i have it really rolled down really small  as the boom end does get low when you make it tiny










After a full season of sailing including a 36 mile race i see ZERO reason for a Vang on this boat after a lifetime of using one


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

MarkSF said:


> Quite so - I have a 60ft length of line with a carabiner on one end (attaches to a bail on the end of the boom)


That is why many boom end fittings have the word "preventer" inscribed upon them.


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## PaulinVictoria (Aug 23, 2009)

Out of interest, and because I'm fairly new to sailing and no-one has asked the question in here yet, why does a vang make a poor preventer?


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

PaulinVictoria said:


> Out of interest, and because I'm fairly new to sailing and no-one has asked the question in here yet, why does a vang make a poor preventer?


Paul.. the boom vang connection, being where it is on the forward half of the boom is not as robust a connection as the end of the boom. Also the angles presented by a vang clipped to the toerail are not as effective as a preventer from boom end to bow.

Finally, given the vang's location on the boom, in severe conditions the sudden reversal of forces (if the boat rounds down/gybes despite best efforts) could snap the boom at that point... as could dipping the vang-prevented boom into the water on a round-up.


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## PaulinVictoria (Aug 23, 2009)

I see. I don't think it's necessarily an issue on a tiddler boat like mine, there isn't much mainsail so I don't know if the forces would ever get to the point of snapping the boom, and certainly not while I'm out on the water, I'd have run home crying long before that point. Despite all the advice to the contrary, I'll carry on using my vang clipped to the toerail. I can actually put it quite a long way forward as my vang line is pretty long, and since I only really use it when deliberately going dead downwind in relatively light winds (basically when I can't be bothered to watch the main too much), I think the equipment is up to the task. I can see how once you scale things up though that you'd want to change the arrangement so thanks for the info.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

PaulinVictoria said:


> Out of interest, and because I'm fairly new to sailing and no-one has asked the question in here yet, why does a vang make a poor preventer?


To build on Faster excellent comments.

After the accidental gybe occurs, you need to release the boom and slowly move it over. Having a cockpit / boom end system is much safer that having go to the toe rail to ease the boom over with the boom vang.

In addition, as mentioned earlier, the vang is necessary to depower the main on a broad reach or run.


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## PaulinVictoria (Aug 23, 2009)

Yep, fair points, I can ease the vang from the cockpit even when it's hooked over on the toe rail, which is nice


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

Here is the WHAT happens in picture form from an accidental gybe. Not sure if the vang was the reason for the break, or that the lower shroud also happens to be where the boom hit, and vang is attached to the boom.









I should also point out, I was double reefed at this point! it were blowing a bit this day, low 40 somethings, 11 some odd knots during one surf with a barely 30' boat........

A vang is pretty cheap to do depending upon the how you do it. A decent 4-1 can be had for boats our size ie 26-30ft for under $50. Rigging to the cabin top to a winch and a clutch pretty simple.

Going thru some online pics, here is a pic of my van at the base, you can see where it goes to the boom, and to the side to a organizer(unseen) then back to a clutch/winch option(unseen also). I do not have a pic with the clutches on that side. Thought I did..... will keep looking.









I' also realizing, I might be about 5-1 with the way I am setup. I have a double fiddle on the boom, and the 3 sheave at the base leading the line to the back of the cabin.

But a good vang and travaller is nice to have. I made my traveler a 4-1 with a 4-1 micro giving me 16-1 on this part. This is really nice when the wind is up for dumping and repulling in the main easy vs the 4-1. The traveler has a 4-1 line control which is great for micro controlling.
here is a pic of that setup.









Marty


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## Sublime (Sep 11, 2010)

Barquito said:


> Regarding running the vang to a cleat on deck or using a block with a cam. On my Catalina 22 I found it easy to cleat and uncleat with the block and cam mounted at the base of the mast. All you have to do is have the end of the line within reach (usually draped into the companionway hatch) and give it a tug.


I need to figure out a better way to cleat my vang. I single hand a lot so I have as many lines leading aft as possible. My deck organizers are full. My vang is really difficult to uncleat. I have to run up to the mast to pop it out. I'm always adjusting the thing so this is bad news.
I might replace the cam or see if I can flip it upside down so that pulling up will pull it out.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

Sublime said:


> I'm always adjusting the thing so this is bad news.


Why are you always adjusting it?


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## puddinlegs (Jul 5, 2006)

AdamLein said:


> Hm.... if I had a vang with some real power, it would almost be tempting to get rid of the traveler. I guess the main advantage that the traveler still has is its ability to go to windward.


It's not really an 'either/or' proposition. Both have their place. Both are often used in conjunction with the other. On our boat, in higher winds with the traveller down, main twisted, having the vang on hard tightens the bottom of the leach enough so that we can keep the back edge of the main working very effectively. It's the difference of at least .5 knots of boat speed, sometimes .75.


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## zz4gta (Aug 15, 2007)

I would not run a vang to a winch or clutch. Winches are slow to adjust and clutches can be very hard to break open while under great load. 

C&C115 and the Bene 36.7 I race on both have some version of a cam cleat to blow the vang quickly. I also have a cam cleat at the back of the bus to blow it if need be on my boat.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

puddinlegs said:


> On our boat, in higher winds with the traveller down, main twisted, having the vang on hard...


Gah... after all this time I still don't really understand twist. I thought that traveler down and sheet or vang on hard would _remove_ twist from the main, and that you raise the traveler and ease the sheet and vang to create twist


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

raising the traveller would be move to windward, let out some sheet so the boom is in the same position, but that relaxes the upper part of the sail. Hopefully I splained that correctly! it might be the opposite!


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## Cptken (Apr 23, 2008)

correct. To get twist in the main the boom must rise. Letting out the sheet and/or loosening the vang will do that


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## puddinlegs (Jul 5, 2006)

AdamLein said:


> Gah... after all this time I still don't really understand twist. I thought that traveler down and sheet or vang on hard would _remove_ twist from the main, and that you raise the traveler and ease the sheet and vang to create twist


The amount of twist is relatively small and comes from backstay tension. The idea is to get the bottom half of the leach working even if you're starting to get into reefing territory. We do this racing. Cruising, we'd just put in a reef and go slower albeit more comfortably without constant traveller play.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

puddinlegs said:


> Cruising, we'd just put in a reef and go slower albeit more comfortably without constant traveller play.


Actually, since reefing reduces weather helm and rudder angle, it can result in higher boat speeds.


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## puddinlegs (Jul 5, 2006)

jackdale said:


> Actually, reefing since reduces weather helm and rudder angle, it can result in higher boat speeds.


Actually Jack, so long as you've got some (the bottom half of the leach) of a full main working and the right head sail, our boat and several I've sailed on are faster than if it were reefed, but it takes constant main trim adjustments. Sure, there's a very fine balance. Too much helm is very slow as you say. When you can't get any of the main to work, time to reef even when racing.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

puddinlegs said:


> Actually Jack, so long as you've got some (the bottom half of the leach) of a full main working and the right head sail, our boat and several I've sailed on are faster than if it were reefed, but it takes constant main trim adjustments, i.e., racing vs. cruising. When you can't get any of the main to work, time to reef even when racing.


I agree. The standard textbook method of reducing weather helm is to reef the main, but choosing the appropriate headsail works as well. I have been a trimmer on race boats.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

There was some discussion in a different thread, IIRC best jib/genoa or some such title, general feeling was, a smaller jib/full main was better than a reefed main and bigger jib of the same sail area. So when racing, this is where having the ability to adjust the sails via cars, travelers, vang, cunningham, back stay adjusters to keep you upright and moving faster is good to know how to do. Frankly, even cruising with two folks, these can and have with my spouse and I, made or broke a good day sailing!

marty


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

Regarding this discussion on trying the main vs.reducing the head sail to decrease weather helm, is this because a too-large jib will produce excessive heeling, which produces weather helm?


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

AdamLein said:


> Regarding this discussion on trying the main vs.reducing the head sail to decrease weather helm, is this because a too-large jib will produce excessive heeling, which produces weather helm?


I suspect that heel angle affects weather helm as much as the centre of effort of sails. That is why racers will reduce headsails and move railmeat around to get the optimum heel angle. I cannot find any sources to support this suspicion. However, in my expereince ....


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

One theory I remember (perhaps nonsense - maybe our newly resident designer might comment) is that the leeward waterline when heeled is longer than the windward side, promoting the tendency to 'round up'....


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## birdlives (Apr 29, 2009)

*mid boom sheeting*

I have mid-boom sheeting and there is not much room for a vang. Does midboom sheeting eliminate the need for a vang (the line attaches almost where a vang would go)?

Ron


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## puddinlegs (Jul 5, 2006)

AdamLein said:


> Regarding this discussion on trying the main vs.reducing the head sail to decrease weather helm, is this because a too-large jib will produce excessive heeling, which produces weather helm?


Adam,
I the conditions we're talking about, just before one would reef the main, the main itself isn't particularly pretty or efficient, but fast. Essentially the aft triangle of the main, specifically the bottom of the leach is working, but not much else. The rest of the main might actually appear to be in a sort of slow, gentle, 'flog', but not enough so to really damage the sail. That small portion of the main + a smaller jib works very very well, but requires good trimming and driving skills. The whole thing is also related to boat rig and boat design. Some things work very well on some boats, not so well on others.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

jackdale said:


> I cannot find any sources to support this suspicion.


My understanding is that, since the COE is high up off the deck, heeling brings the COE laterally out to leeward, by an distance H proportional to the sine of the heeling angle:










Since the line of force is no longer directly over the center of rotation, this creates a torque on the boat.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

birdlives said:


> I have mid-boom sheeting and there is not much room for a vang. Does midboom sheeting eliminate the need for a vang (the line attaches almost where a vang would go)?
> 
> Ron


Mid boom sheeting does not eliminate/compensate for the vang. You could argue that as long as you're sheeting in hard and still above the traveller (if you have one) that the vang is superfluous.. (though not always...) but once you've eased the sheets beyond close reaching there's virtually no downward pull on the sheet, which allows the boom to lift - easing leech tension and inducing twist you may not want.

The vang goes the same place it would with end-boom sheeting, from the lowest part of the mast above deck, to the boom at approx a 45 deg angle. The vang attachment may well be very close to the forward-most block of the mainsheet setup.


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## tap (Apr 1, 2009)

They key difference between the vang the mainsheet is where the attach to the boat on the opposite end from the boom. The mainsheet leads to the boat deck, while the vang leads to the mast. Ideally the vang would pivot at the mast base about the same axis as the boom pivots on at the gooseneck. The vang should have no effect on the rotation of boom, while the mainsheet should.


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## Sublime (Sep 11, 2010)

jackdale said:


> Why are you always adjusting it?


A couple of reasons.

-I'm still learning my boat and am experimenting
-I'm on a lake so I switch often enough from upwind to downwind sailing
-Wind shifts happen a lot on the lake I'm on.


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

One of the benefits of the vang is that it keeps the boom down when running downwind. This works great, but the other week I was running downwind with ~30 knots (Pearson 323); probably wing-on-wing (can't recall). I had my gybe preventer in place (carabiner to boom end, to cleat in bow). We got hit by a wave, knocking us off course into an accidental gybe (wave hit us); the preventer helped, but the mains'l twisted and pulled upwards, which tore the vang out - if my boom wasn't so darned strong, it could have been very expensive, but fortunately the shackle on the vang broke.
So (1) a traveller would not have helped in this situation - in fact, as has been stated, travellers seem to be most useful sailing close-hauled. Vangs are darned useful running.
and (2) What should I have done better? Not gybe for one!
I'm still learning - and guess I always will be...part of the fun of sailing!


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Jack

Beside Sublime's avatar it does say "quirky".


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Paul

In 30 knots downwind (apparent or true?) I would have reefed.


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

Maybe reefed more..had one reef in already...it was true windspeed.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Paul

So your apparent wind was about 23 or 24 knots then?


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

Estimated yah, fairly blowy- I don't have an anemometer - I was relying on a weather station we passed for true wind estimates. But we were in South Bay, so waves were not that big, but short wavelength (shallow water). Still trying to work out the best sail config foe heavier winds normally working jig (100%) and 1-2 reefs. The traveller is essential for uphill work, the vang downhill...as you know, the power downhill can be deceptive.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Big surprise when you head up.


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

So, would it be a good idea to have a weak link (compared to boom) in the preventer and vang? Maybe strong enough to hold in most accidental gybes, but break away in what might be a boom-busting gybe?


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

I don't think so. Booms coming across and hitting the lowers on the other side have been known to wipe out the rig in rough conditions. I would want the preventer to hold.


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