| Title: | SAILING |
| Notice: | Please read Note 2.* before participating in this conference |
| Moderator: | UNIFIX::BERENS |
| Created: | Wed Jul 01 1992 |
| Last Modified: | Mon Jun 02 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 2299 |
| Total number of notes: | 20724 |
I have a problem with my 25 foot sail boat that has
been bothering me ever since I bought the boat. The
traveler for the boom vang is located on the cockpit
deck, about 4 inches from the companionway (I know,
lousy design). To release the vang you must pull
straight down, and there is only about 2 inches of
clearance between clam cleat block and deck. Needless
to say it jams and is VERY difficult to release (danger
factor). Another problem is when going in and out of
the companionway while anchored or moored the boom vang
is always in the way. Also the traveler has a small
track causing the boom vang block not to travel freely
(the tendency is to jam either port or starbord).
Does anyone have any suggestion?
The only solution I have been able to dream up is the
design used on the O'day's. It has the boom vang
attached to a plate in the back stay (see figure 1). I
would appreciate comment on the feasibility of doing
this to my present boat.
Idea's I have already ruled out;
a) attach boom vang to stern -- no room there is a
outboard motor hatch there
b) attach two block one port and one starboard and have
a "Y" shaped vang -- stern rail and life lines would
get in the way on a broad reach
c) put traveler over companionway hatch -- expense,
little room on cabin roof, vang would be to far
forward (mechanical advantage lose) and would
restrict movement in and out of the companionway
Problem with figure 1
As more pressure is applied to the main sail (wind) the
back stay will be tighten (design will act like a ratch
cam).
\
block--+ \
| \
----------+ v \
boom | \ \ <--- back stay
----------+\ \ \
\ \ \
boom \ \ \
vang ----> \ \ \
\ \ \
\ \ \
\ \ \
\ \ \
\ \ \
\ \ \
+-+ \
block --- > | | \
+-+ \
!~ | \
~ ~ ~ +---------------+
! < 0 0 \
! \ \
rope --> ~ | |
\ 0 |
+---------------+
\
\
\
\
\
-----------------------------------+ stern
chainplate | of
| boat
|
+-------------+
| |
| outboard |
| motor |
| |
PS: thanks for the help in getting this from the RMS file.
Tom
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 417.1 | GRAMPS::WCLARK | Walt Clark | Wed Oct 08 1986 16:50 | 34 | |
First, I assume you are refering to the main sheet, not boom vang.
Is this a tiller boat, or wheel steered ? Is the rudder outboard
with tiller overhanging the transom, or does the rudder hang below
the cockpit with tiller/wheel thru the cockpit sole.
If the boom is long enough (reaches to somewhere near the aft end
of the cockpit) you could move the sheet to boom end and traveller
to aft end of cockpit. Its not a good idea to have a mainsheet
attach to the deck way aft of the boom attachment point, it reduces
the control of the sheeting angle and puts uneven loads on the
traveller when close hauled.
As for traveller car sticking under load. That can be solved with
a traveller car on rollers with the proper track and traveller
sheeting. A lot of small boats put a genoa track and sliding car
in the cockpit and call it a traveller. Only trouble is it doesnt
travel under load which is where it needs to operate. Take a look
in some marine hardware catalogs. Does your traveller hardware look
like the traveller stuff they show, or is it more like the genoa
track/car systems ? (Some of the fancy racing hardware will have
the same roller car systems used for genoa sheeting, but this is
not the norm yet)
Finally, the cam cleat on most mainsheet systems can be adjusted
up and down to permit selection of lock angle and release angle.
I found on my last boat (which had the mainsheet attached to an
eye in the cockpit sole when I bought it) it was easy to release
the sheet if I stepped on the line leaving the cleat to release
it. I eventually moved the attachment point to the aft end of the
cockpit above the tiller/rudder post.
Walt
| |||||
| 417.2 | another idea | PULSAR::BERENS | Alan Berens | Thu Oct 09 1986 11:48 | 16 |
To get more clearance between the mainsheet cam (clam?) cleat, you could take a short length of 3/16 7x7 wire and nicopress an eye in each end perhaps 6" apart. Make the first eye around the strap on the traveller to which the mainsheet block was attached and the second eye around the attachment eye on the mainsheet block. Now you should (cheaply) have ample clearance for releasing the mainsheet. If you use vinyl coated wire, it will look ok too. I wouldn't attach the mainsheet block to the backstay. Every time the block loads and unloads, you will bend (slightly) the backstay. Sooner or later you are likely to start breaking the strands of the backstay at the turnbuckle swage. Alan | |||||
| 417.3 | correction and comments | BPOV09::TMOORE | Thu Oct 09 1986 13:41 | 19 | |
Re. 1 Tiller type steering
rudder is below
genoa track
sorry (main sheet) being a self taught sailor of XX years
I've picked up a lot of bad terminology
I've looked at a car type traveler but that would add something]
bigger to stub your toe on (i think)
Re. 2 Good suggestion, would solve my jamming problem.
any other suggestions ????????????
Tom
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