[C320-list] Steve's boom vang issue

[Alan Goodman]

Steve - I have an early hull, but in my case the boom vang is 100% spring loaded, nothing hydraulic.   Look at the piston on your vang and you should see several evenly holes (mine has 4).  There is an internal tube mechanism with one (?) hole that is lined up with the external holes and then a clevis pin is inserted through the lined up holes and secured (mine with a circular cotter pin).  You may have a missing pin.  I concur with Chris that your topping lift may be too loose when sailing.  I have a Dutchman (R) flaked sail so I need the topping lift ... if you have a furling main and proper vang, you will not need the topping lift.  However the topping lift provides a nice way to fly Old Glory at the dock or while under way.  Alan

Alan Goodman
Hull 67
Holland, MI
Eldean Shipyard Slip E-39


> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 29 May 2014 12:13:37 -0700
> From: "Stephen Kaplan" <stepkap at pacbell.net>
> To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
> Subject: [C320-list] Boom Vang Hydraulic Spring
> Message-ID: <044301cf7b72$18c07cf0$4a4176d0$@pacbell.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Fellow sailors,
> After twice having the topping lift wrap around and hang-up on the back stay
> "V" causing damage to the boom vang saddle fasteners on the mast I have
> taken to sailing w/o the topping lift.  Removes the worry of the wrap
> occurring on the rather vigorous tacks common on San Francisco Bay.
> However the Boom Vang hydraulic spring does not hold or lift up the boom
> when furling or unfurling the main. Thus requires a crew to hold the boom to
> keep it from smashing into the helm pedestal/instrument cluster.  Is this
> the normal situation or has the hydraulic cylinder lost its oomph?
> 
> Steve Kaplan
> Saline
> Hull 980 
> San Francisco 
>