How do you install a boom vang on a Bristol 29

[ddsailor25]

I would like to install a 4 to 1 boom vang on our B29. She has never had one and I would like to improve down wind sailing. I saw on the rig rite web site many choices of boom bails, but I'm not sure what set up will work best. There are some that use a single bolt on both sides of the bail, there are some that will mount 4 smaller screws on both sides and there are also some that use a single bolt that goes all the way through the boom. I'm also wondering if there need to be any internal support like a hollow compression post on ether the mast or the boom. Any suggestions would be greatly appricated.

Thanks,
Dave D.

[Hirilondë]

I would definitely not use screws. The load on a vang can be tremendous. Mine uses a bale on the boom attached by a bolt through it. There is no compression sleeve as the bolt isn't tightened so much as to need one and the load from the vang is sheer. As a matter of fact, the nut is a nylock and is barely snug. On the mast I have a fitting that slides into the sail track/slot with an eye for attaching the block for the vang.

I think it is strange your boat didn't at least show evidence that it had one once, like holes in the boom from the bale. Be sure to consult some original B29 sources for the locations of both ends of the vang. I would think the mast end is right at the cabin top, and the boom end about double that away from the mast, but it was already engineered, no reason to second guess now.

[ddsailor25]

I thought it was also strang there was never one before too. There are no holes that would indicate that one has been taken off. I need to find some information on the angle because of the mast bail. I can't run the mast bail where I would like because there is an access port on the mast for the wiring. I would have to go a couple of inches above that and that would make the mast bail about 6" up off the deck. If anybody has more info or suggestions please let me know.

Dave