Main Sail Controls

[eveningebb]

I just finished reading Mainsail Trimming by Felix Marks.  He describes trimming the Main Sail using the main sheet, traveler, vang, outhaul, and cunningham.  My ketch has a main sheet and outhaul, and the ends of the main sheet are led to a self-tailing winch to the port of the companionway and the other end is led to a cleat on the starboard gunwale aft of the starboard main winch.  Has anyone added a vang or a traveler to the ketch rig?

Dirk

[Higgins]

I'm planning on trying a double vang like this one.

http://www.boatus.com/goodoldboat/vangprevent.asp

Looks like potentially better sail control than rigid vang and traveler (or at least more options), plus you get a preventer and "manual" boom-brake by default.

I'd intended to add a rigid vang (about $700) when I had my sticks out last summer although I wasn't too jazzed about drilling more holes in the mast.  Also, rigid vangs strike me as one more thing that can break.  In addition, it presented possible interference issues with the deck hatch, depending on how far aft you mounted the vang on the boom as well as limiting deck storage should I ever want to lash an inflatable on the deck.  Problem solved itself as Vang Master (the company recommended by those telling me I absolutely needed one) didn't get back to me until 2 months after the fact.  End of the day, I don't find using a topping lift a burden.  I ran some pricey, narrow diameter, Samson Warpspeed as a backup main halyard and use that as my topping lift.  Nice to have an extra safety line available when going aloft as well.

I've also looked into adding a traveller (Harken $1000-$1300) however after pulling off the fiberglass box over the companionway, it becomes obvious that the existing block is pretty well re-enforced with an aluminum support/brace underneath.  Installing a traveller that's comparably robust would require a bit of work although I know a lot of Pearson owners have successfully done it.

The bad news is that the hardware needed for double vang isn't cheap either ($1000).  You also end up with addition lines, but it's not too much worse then if you were to add a traditional boom brake.

Anyway, just big talk at this point but hopefully I'll get a chance to get out and try it next week.

[dave6330]

Did you ever get your preventer mounted?  How did it work out?  Looking for options myself...

[BlameItOnBuffett]

During our recent Harvest Moon race, while I was sleeping, the crew decided to do an accidental jibe. I use a second rope vang, snap shackled to a slide on my genoa track. It did its job and prevented anyone's ehad from being removed, but because the slide was all the way at the forward end of the track, it sheared the last screw head, and lifted about a quarter inch. If you are going to use a similar technique, I would move the slide about a foot back, so that you have srews and tension on both sides of the track from wherever the slide happens to be sitting.

One more item on my to-do list....

[Atavist]

I use a cunningham as a preventer/vang when on a run but other than that I think the simple main on the p365 sets better than a lot of high-speed new boats I've been on with vangs and tracks so I'm not going to add a vang in the forseable future.