Boom vang bracket wore out??

[SSgtPitt]

While looking at my bracket it seems that either the bolt or the bolt hole in the bracket is wore out. Has anyone seen this before?

[s/v Jedi]

Why haven't you taken it apart to inspect it yet?

[SSgtPitt]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Why haven't you taken it apart to inspect it yet?

Just arrived yesterday afternoon and had other things going on. The boat is still relatively new to me and everytime I turn around I find some other thing that needs to be fixed or replaced or was rigged wrong.
Also was hoping against hope someone would chime in and tell me they're made that way. It's a Leisure Furl boom vang for a LeisureFurl Coastal boom furler. I'll post pictures as I pull it apart so someone else can benefit from my newly acquired knowledge.

[mgh]

I had the same issue. Mine was made by Hall (and looks like yours might also be) and they were very helpful.

In mine there was a plastic bearing washer of some kind that the PO should have paid more attention to... By the time I bought the boat, the washer between the fixed mast piece and the movable part was long gone, there had been much metal-to metal contact wearing down the aluminum. I finally opted to just replace the entire mast assembly. Getting it off the mast was tricky (8 old aluminum bolts...) but an impact driver got them out.

[Suijin]

Looks like the bolt sheared, even with the bottom of the bracket. Could have been corrosion, a hard gybe, or likely a combination of both. Certainly easy to fix. Wouldn't hurt to put a delrin washer at the bottom; looks like there was one there and now it's gone, given the spacing. I would also coat the bolt and nut with Tef-gel, and inspect it annually.

[SSgtPitt]

I got it off and although it's not broken, it's definately wobbled out. Washers? What washers?

[SSgtPitt]

Found it at Forespar.....$400 for the entire assembly

[LoudMusic]

I was on a racing sailboat years ago that sheared its boom bolt about 2 minutes before the start of the race. It sounded like a cannon going off. No one was injured, but it distracted all the other boats and one of them ran their bow into the hull of another boat that was heeled over and punched a hole below their water line.

Our captain, being a racing sailboat captain , shouted, "I can fix this!" and we all looked at each other thinking, "He carries a spare bolt that big?" No. He was going to fix it with ropes. We talked him out of it.

[Captndave1]

take it to a machine shop and they can bore out and put in a bronze bushing, will last for years that way.

[RidgeRunner]

Originally Posted by mgh

I had the same issue. Mine was made by Hall (and looks like yours might also be) and they were very helpful.

Hall went out of business last month.

[phydeaux]

Ask for Randy at Forespar - since that's where the Leisure Furl comes from

salestechsupport@forespar.com or 949 858 8820

[Boston Blackie]

I suggest boring the bracket and TIG welding in aluminum bushings. Bronze in the aluminum bracket invites corrosion. I rebuilt our Hall gooseneck and vang pivots that way last year. Bead blasted and reanodized the weldments. Also added replaceable nylon inert bushings between the 1/2" bolts and the aluminum to prevent further electrolysis and wear.

[SSgtPitt]

Originally Posted by phydeaux

Ask for Randy at Forespar - since that's where the Leisure Furl comes from

salestechsupport@forespar.com or 949 858 8820

Thanks phydeaux, New one will be here Tuesday. $89 plus tax title license and shipping. Tried to overnight it but it was too late.

[SSgtPitt]

Originally Posted by Boston Blackie

I suggest boring the bracket and TIG welding in aluminum bushings. Bronze in the aluminum bracket invites corrosion. I rebuilt our Hall gooseneck and vang pivots that way last year. Bead blasted and reanodized the weldments. Also added replaceable nylon inert bushings between the 1/2" bolts and the aluminum to prevent further electrolysis and wear.

I was thinking of that. Looking at the bracket it's wore not only at the mast attachment bolt but also the vang bolt hole is wobbled out. Then I started looking a little harder and the vang rod has worn grooves on both sides of the bracket. I sanded all the humped up metal off and put it back on for now.
I'm entertaining having one made out of 316 Stainless.
Where did you get the nylon bushings and are they anything special?
I asked Forespar to send me a PDF of the installation and maintenance instructions for the Boom Vang but they couldn't find anything, there's nothing on the website and Google came up empty too. I used too screw drivers to compress the internal spring so I could get the bolt back in. It was a pain and I know there has to be a better way.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by SSgtPitt

I was thinking of that. Looking at the bracket it's wore not only at the mast attachment bolt but also the vang bolt hole is wobbled out. Then I started looking a little harder and the vang rod has worn grooves on both sides of the bracket. I sanded all the humped up metal off and put it back on for now.
I'm entertaining having one made out of 316 Stainless.
Where did you get the nylon bushings and are they anything special?
I asked Forespar to send me a PDF of the installation and maintenance instructions for the Boom Vang but they couldn't find anything, there's nothing on the website and Google came up empty too. I used too screw drivers to compress the internal spring so I could get the bolt back in. It was a pain and I know there has to be a better way.

Was going to suggest you have it made out of SS, if you do, be sure to Tufgel everything that attaches it to the boom, and Mast!
SV Cloud Duster