Capt. Mooron wrote:
it's an auxiliary diesel.. 30 HP!

???
What is?

.... The vang holds the boom down not up...

Therein lies your error. A solid vang holds the boom up and down.


yes it has the capacity to hold up a boom up with some weight.... but that
is not it's primary function.

Why isn't it? That's like saying that because a bridge is designed for
cars to drive over it, it won't hold up a person walking across.



Leverage is required at the end of the boom for lifting. I'm certain you are
familiar with fulcrums?

Yes. I fail to see your point though. If the vang holds the boom up,
then it holds the boom up.

If the vang will hold the boom down under heavy sailing loads, then it
will probably hold at least as much in the opposite direction, nyet?

How much leach tension do you think your boat generates in a good breeze?


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%?

Depends.

It's not a relevant issue though. Wherever the boom vang is attached, if
it will stand up to the load then it will... umm... stand up to the
load. If not, then it wasn't strong enough to begin with and that's true
whether it's a solid vang or not.

|
| 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.

Actually the engineering is quite sound. If you have problems with vangs
breaking and booms folding up, then that suggests that your engineering
needs a little more beef and less cheese.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King