"DSK" wrote in message

| If it won't hold up a piddly little outboard motor, how is it going to
| hold the force of the whole boat driving the boom tip into wave crests,
| or any of the other things that can be expected to happen when you
| *really* sail, occasionally in hard conditions?

it's an auxiliary diesel.. 30 HP! The vang holds the boom down not up...
yes it has the capacity to hold up a boom up with some weight.... but that
is not it's primary function.

Leverage is required at the end of the boom for lifting. I'm certain you are
familiar with fulcrums?
Where would you fasten the mainsheet to the boom... generally it's 50% of
the length or more. Look where the vang is... at what 15%?

|
| I think you're forming your opinion based on incomplete data.

My data seems more complete than yours at the moment Doug.


|
| A *real* solid vang (and boom) will fulfill all the functions of a
| topping lift, except as an emergency backstay replacement. I've seen a
| lot that wouldn't, but I don't like them either.

No Way Doug!! No for all the tea in China. The engineering is out to lunch
for such a claim.

CM