On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 07:33:02 -0400, DSK wrote:

Thom Stewart wrote:
If you use the solid vange to hold up the boom when using it for a
crane, it will soon be like Neals Boom, with a pipe in it. The topping
lift bears the load. The boom only position the lifting location.

Not if it was built properly in the first place.

I must be more spoiled than I realize, having sailed boats with strong
spars and decent rigging. Oh well.

If your boom will not lift a dinghy then it will not stand up to hard
sailing either. A topping lift might "bear the load" but it also puts
the boom under more compression than the weight of the load.

The usual failure point (in my experience) is the gooseneck.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

I am no engineer, but my boat does have a well built boom (Hall) and a
solid vang (Offshore Spars) and a topping lift. I am not worried
about any of the three under any conditions. My vang does have a
means to "lock" it with a quick release pin and a number of holes into
which it can be placed. Last year I was sailing when the water levels
were VERY low and we managed to find a shallow sandy spot and run
aground. Hey, not the first time or the last, I am sure. We were
able to swing the boom out over the side and my friend climbed out on
the end of it to give us some heel as we had very little wind to work
with. We managed to sail off and enjoy the day. No big deal. I keep
the topping lift because it is quick and easy to lift the boom for
extra clearance above the bimini when the sail is down, rather than
screwing with the vang. Just my preference, but it works well for me.
If my main had more roach to it that was creating a chaffe issue, I
would probably get rid of it as I don't really *need* it, but I like
it, so there

So how do you like the Offshore Spares solid vang? Could you live
without it, or is it a major plus having it?

"felton" wrote

I am no engineer, but my boat does have a well built boom (Hall) and a
solid vang (Offshore Spars) and a topping lift. I am not worried
about any of the three under any conditions. My vang does have a
means to "lock" it with a quick release pin and a number of holes into
which it can be placed.

On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 06:23:51 GMT, "Bart Senior"
wrote:

So how do you like the Offshore Spares solid vang? Could you live
without it, or is it a major plus having it?

I like it, but if I were buying another one I would get the Garhauer.
Mine is strongly built but that spring does have a somewhat awful
sound, like a rusty spring in a car suspension. Probably the most
annoying thing about it is the series of holes for the quick release
pin, which is much like the Spinlock. While this is not an issue for
most (all) of the rest of you, down here we have these annoying mud
wasps that love nothing better than holes like that. They must think
of them as birdhouses. In two weeks time they could completely fill
my vang tube with mud, which is not easily removed and really screws
up the ability of the vang to be adjusted. I'll bet you didn't expect
that in my report, did you? I have to keep the holes covered with
rigging tape.

It is a nice thing to have and it is very strongly made. I would
definitely want to have a solid vang, but I would be just as happy
with a Garhauer, which, while inexpensive, *might* be on the heavy
side for serious racers.



"felton" wrote

I am no engineer, but my boat does have a well built boom (Hall) and a
solid vang (Offshore Spars) and a topping lift. I am not worried
about any of the three under any conditions. My vang does have a
means to "lock" it with a quick release pin and a number of holes into
which it can be placed.

You have 'way too much common sense. WTF are you trying to do, stop an
argument?

BTW is your Hall boom a box section?

DSK

felton wrote:
I am no engineer, but my boat does have a well built boom (Hall) and a
solid vang (Offshore Spars) and a topping lift. I am not worried
about any of the three under any conditions. My vang does have a
means to "lock" it with a quick release pin and a number of holes into
which it can be placed. Last year I was sailing when the water levels
were VERY low and we managed to find a shallow sandy spot and run
aground. Hey, not the first time or the last, I am sure. We were
able to swing the boom out over the side and my friend climbed out on
the end of it to give us some heel as we had very little wind to work
with. We managed to sail off and enjoy the day. No big deal. I keep
the topping lift because it is quick and easy to lift the boom for
extra clearance above the bimini when the sail is down, rather than
screwing with the vang. Just my preference, but it works well for me.
If my main had more roach to it that was creating a chaffe issue, I
would probably get rid of it as I don't really *need* it, but I like
it, so there

On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 06:28:38 -0400, DSK wrote:

You have 'way too much common sense. WTF are you trying to do, stop an
argument?

Who, me? Nope, I love an argument but I was getting lost in the
engineering jargon


BTW is your Hall boom a box section?

No, but it does seem to be strongly constructed. My spar is quite
bendy but my boom can handle anything my vang or my mainsheet tackle
can generate. Even my friend out on the end was no cause for concern.
It could be because my boat wasn't built as a weight saving racer. It
seems much more solidly built than the C&C it replaced, which was
obviously built with a greater emphasis on performance/weight saving
construction.


DSK

felton wrote:
I am no engineer, but my boat does have a well built boom (Hall) and a
solid vang (Offshore Spars) and a topping lift. I am not worried
about any of the three under any conditions. My vang does have a
means to "lock" it with a quick release pin and a number of holes into
which it can be placed. Last year I was sailing when the water levels
were VERY low and we managed to find a shallow sandy spot and run
aground. Hey, not the first time or the last, I am sure. We were
able to swing the boom out over the side and my friend climbed out on
the end of it to give us some heel as we had very little wind to work
with. We managed to sail off and enjoy the day. No big deal. I keep
the topping lift because it is quick and easy to lift the boom for
extra clearance above the bimini when the sail is down, rather than
screwing with the vang. Just my preference, but it works well for me.
If my main had more roach to it that was creating a chaffe issue, I
would probably get rid of it as I don't really *need* it, but I like
it, so there