"Jere Lull" wrote in message
news:2008100310082150073-jerelull@maccom...
On 2008-10-02 21:31:05 -0400, Gordon said:

So who prefers what and why. I'm looking at vangs also, rigid vs line.

With the weight of our boom, I find an adjustable topping lift more useful
than a rope vang, as the last thing I want to do most times is pull the
boom down. Have used rope vangs as preventers by shifting to the toe rail.
Haven't tried a rigid vang, mostly due to cost.

Our traveler is mid-boom and 5' wide so works adequately as a preventer as
well as shaping the sail more nicely.

I have a rigid vang which does away with the need for a topping lift.

"Edgar" wrote in message
...

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
news:2008100310082150073-jerelull@maccom...
On 2008-10-02 21:31:05 -0400, Gordon said:

So who prefers what and why. I'm looking at vangs also, rigid vs line.

With the weight of our boom, I find an adjustable topping lift more
useful than a rope vang, as the last thing I want to do most times is
pull the boom down. Have used rope vangs as preventers by shifting to the
toe rail. Haven't tried a rigid vang, mostly due to cost.

Our traveler is mid-boom and 5' wide so works adequately as a preventer
as well as shaping the sail more nicely.

I have a rigid vang which does away with the need for a topping lift.



I would like that to be so with my boat, but I use the dutchman flaking
system, and the way it's rigged it needs the topping lift.

My rope vang can be easily detached from the mast foot, and I can attach it
to the rail, so no need for a serious end-of-boom preventer.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

I use a Garhauer rigid vang; and, a CMI 'rescue descender' as the boom
brake.

http://www.cmi-gear.com/catalog/descenders/R1000.asp

On Mon, 6 Oct 2008 08:51:22 -0700 (PDT), RichH
wrote:

I use a Garhauer rigid vang; and, a CMI 'rescue descender' as the boom
brake.

http://www.cmi-gear.com/catalog/descenders/R1000.asp

Not having used a "rescue descender", I'm trying to envision how this
works. I'm guessing the small end of the descender attaches to
mid-boom with a shackle, and a line running athwartship (port to
starboard) gets looped through and around the large end ?

What is the biggest boat on which you have used this technique ?

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMvralRauSE and watch for the
sequence BEFORE the rescuer attaches to the 'blue' bag. Youll note
that he wraps 2 loops around the descender for extra heavy loads ....
youll only need 'one' loop around the descender to make it work for a
boom brake device.

I use it on a 440 sq. ft. mainsail. (with one loop around the
device). Why I use the 'eared' type of descender is that the 'ears'
stop the line from overwrapping around the descender, thus jamming.
I tie a line to the gen track, up to the descender affixed to a boom
bail, then to a block on the opposite genoa track ... then back to the
cockpit. I control the amount of friction (hence the amount of
frictional amount applied by tensioning the line (via a cam cleat).
When you set up, do a few trial gybes until you get the tension on the
line correct ... which sets the amount of friction desired.

:-)

RichH wrote:
I use a Garhauer rigid vang; and, a CMI 'rescue descender' as the boom
brake.

http://www.cmi-gear.com/catalog/descenders/R1000.asp


Lets see. A CMI for $40 or a GYB-Easy for around $300 that requires
special line to be replaced every 5 years.
Gordon