Conference unifix::sailing

    
    A parts list for a vang might run like this:
    
    1 fiddle block                      $10.00
    1 fiddle block with becket           11.00
    16 ft. of 1/4" line @ .25/ft.         4.00
    1 jam cleat                           3.00
    2 cheap shackles @ 5.00              10.00
    2 bails for mast and boom             8.00
    pop rivets or machine screws          1.00
                                         -----
    total                                $47.00
    
    Using snap shackles in lieu of el cheapo shackles could easily add
    another $30.  $60 may not be too out of line.  The best way to tell
    is to price out the individual components at a marine supply store.
    Ready made vangs for anything bigger than a laser typically run
    from $50 to $100+.  
    
    It's probably not worth the $25 for the installation.  This is easy.
    The money would be better spent buying any tools that you may need.
    
    - gene

>    	Is the kit something I should consider installing  myself?

	Yes. Look at the kit before you decide. It probably is installed
	by screwing straps to the main and boom. If you have a power
	drill, this should be very easy. Measure the boat in the
	showroom to get the right positions, if the kit doesn't indicate
	where to make the attachments.
    
>    	Is this kit overpriced (looks like a simple block and
>    	tackle)?
 
	You can probably get a better price elsewhere. Boom vangs are
	common items, and you don't need to use that specific model unless
	it's a requirement to be class-legal.
   
>    	Will it really improve the boats performance?

	Yes. The boom vang is used to flatten the sail. You can
	simulate the effect of the vang by pulling the boom
	straight down (i.e. directly towards the hull.) The vang
	will probably improve your pointing ability
	somewhat, but I don't know by how much. The vang is
	also useful when going downwind, to keep the boom from
	riding up. This reduces the likelihood of an unexpected
	jibe.

	If you want to race the boat, you will need to get every
	little bit of speed. If you are just out to have fun, 
	the vang may not be necessary.

>    	Also, are there any other add-on accessories I should
>	consider for more enjoyable sailing?
    
	One of the least expensive and most useful sailing
	accessories is telltales. You can buy these at exhorbitant
	prices, or you can make your own from yarn or short
	pieces of cassette tape. If you don't have these already,
	make some, and attach them at appropriate places to help
	you get the most from your rig. The best places are
	on the sail itself, to understand when the airflow across
	the sail is smooth and efficient, rather than turbulent
	and wasteful. The attach them to the sail, you can simply
	pull them through with a needle, and make a knot in each
	side to keep it from sliding back out.

	--RS

    The vang greatly increases stability of the boat when running 
    downwind in high winds.  Without the vang, the sail will spiral such
    that in a strong puff the boat will have a heeling force to leeward.
    When the puff lets up, the boat can rebound to the windward side. 
    
    If you let out the sheet to make the rig neutral with respect to
    heeling, a puff can make the boom lift higher, increase the spiral, and
    then cause the heeling force to be to windward.  The result is that it
    is difficult to prevent oscillations and potential capsizing.
    
    This is true in small dinghies, but can ALSO be the cause of heeling
    oscillations and  broaching  in large displacement boats.  
    
    /Don