Rosemary:

As I have installed the ridge boomvang on Pygmalion, the vang will hold the boom down in the gallows and also allow the boom to raise when the main is raised. 

I have removed the toping lift - thus saving the aggravation of it wrapped around the backstay!!

Below is a reasonable image of the installation.  I think I would clamp/install vang base bracket to the mast and then experiment with range of the vang and the exact boom mounting position. Try using the topping lift to raise and lower the boom to find the correct position.  

 

Jay

Rosemary:

I clamp the boom down on the gallows with the main sheet and vang - I assume there is nothing wrong with doing that - I think it's just a spring inside the tube that "lifts" the boom so compressing it shouldn't matter. 

I don't fiddle much with the vang under way - if the wind is light then as I understand it the sail should be looser and tighter in higher winds.

Jay

Rosemary Wilson wrote:Jay - I forgot you had one too! Do you worry about having the vang engaged and cleated when the sail is down and the boom is in the gallows? I would imagine you would always have some vang on when sailing in anything but light air right?

If it weren't so cold here right now, I'd go out and try it out - clamping is a great idea! 

Light air and when headed to windward so that the main sheet can control the vertical orientation of the boom.  If you have a traveler you can use it to control vertical boom angle at a wider angle, but without, you'll use the vang more.  

This a somewhat different opinion.  We had one on our Catalina and it worked well, but we did a different type of sailing.  On the Westsail we like Dave decided against it, but for different reasons.  First it takes valuable space we need.  We have a center hatch and the dingy sets here when under way which the vang would hinder.  They make a little more sense with end boom sheeting although Dave King doesn't have one on Saraband he uses preventers.  We have a traveler in front of the dodger which makes a vang useless until the boom extends past it in off the wind sailing, which we do a lot of when cruising.  In Trade wind sailing we always use a preventer, actually we always have them rigged on both sides when ocean sailing. Preventers are also useful in gybing in the ocean when bringing the boom over.  They have prevented a serious jibe several times for us and we feel they are necessary in off wind ocean sailing.  Being attached further out on the boom requires less force to hold the boom down then the vang which is further in and requires more leverage.

That's what I understand the Gauhaur needs was a fixed goose neck. I beleive on the WS's in general the Leifiel and SuperSpar goosenecks let the boom rotate to the sail.