Tom, At my level of racing capability I can't honestly say it makes a big difference. I use it mainly to stabilize the boom and keep the sail flat downwind when it's windy. For real advice on the nuances of using a vang in racing you need to go the experts like Jerry or Gary O. I'm more of a beer-can kind of racer, although I do manage to generally keep up with a fleet of larger boats. For that I thank the designers who made the M17 to punch well above her weight competitively. Rick M17 #633 Lynne L On Thursday, January 16, 2014, Thomas Buzzi <thomaspbuzzi@gmail.com> wrote:
Rick, If you race a lot, have you found a vang to make a big difference in performance? Anybody thought about one of those old timey boom gallows frames at the aft end of the cockpit? Seems like a good start for attaching a bimini of sorts too. I can feel Jerry cringing from here. lol.
Tom B M17 #258
On Thu, Jan 16, 2014 at 8:45 AM, Rick Davies <jdavies104@gmail.com> wrote:
Tom,
I'll cast a vote for slugs. With a mastgate in the sail slot, the main goes up or comes down in seconds. I have to use a bolt rope on the CDI Genoa furler, and it's a pain. Even though I race a lot, I'm not at the level of performance where the luff airflow difference between slugs and a bolt rope is going to make much difference in results.
Rick M17 #633 Lynne L
On Thursday, January 16, 2014, Thomas Buzzi <thomaspbuzzi@gmail.com> wrote:
Tom, Do you use a vang at all? I have always had one on board but never really used it effectively. Like windage aloft I just never was that concerned about the ultimate sail shape. Sorry Jerry. Read an article years ago entitled, "Don't Vang the Main". It was so long ago it may have been about square riggers. I had a bolt rope on my last M 17 and am considering going to slugs. I have read that slugs effect the airflow over the mainsail but I guess if I am not concerned about vangs the slug business shouldn't bother me. They seem a lot easier to use when handling the main. Have you considered them? I will be trailering my boat for a while and slugs set up quicker than a boltrope. Tom B
On Wed, Jan 15, 2014 at 6:19 PM, Tom Smith <openboatt@gmail.com> wrote:
I worried about 1/4 when I first installed the line--I admit I got talked into that size by the guy who sold me the line, and smaller is better aloft like that (although frankly, I don't worry about those sorts of things too much).
There is a cabin-top winch and I use it (almost never with a winch handle, but sometimes). I changed the main halyard out as well, and there's only a horn cleat on the mast there, but it hasn't proven to be a problem (my main is bolt rope, and I guide the luff of the sail into the slot when I raise the main) and it sweats up pretty well. I use a boom down haul (the gooseneck is a slider) to tighten up the luff in higher winds, so I don't need to hoist the main all that tightly, and I'm almost always wearing sailing gloves, so that helps too.
I went to all rope from wire/rope, and changed out the sheaves at the masthead as well--it was just time to smooth all that out.
I'll let you know how the small cleat install goes. I did the same thing for the downhaul--fabricated a pedestal that made the lead more fair. It ain't that pretty, but it works well, and I wouldn't live without a downhaul. t
t _/\_
On Wed, Jan 15, 2014 at 2:45 PM, Thomas Buzzi < thomaspbuzzi@gmail.com
wrote:
Sounds elegant, and smart. How is that 1/4 inch low stretch on the hands for hauling?Or are you using a halyard winch?
On Wed, Jan 15, 2014 at 3:48 PM, Tom Smith <openboatt@gmail.com> wrote:
I haven't taken the residue off yet, Thomas, but I'll be doing that soon. I'm sizing the cleat down as I've adopted a 1/4 low stretch line for the jib halyard. The exiting large cleat, though not in bad shape, allowed the halyard to sli