I’ve barely ever used my boom vang. Mine has both a topping lift and a rigid vang, the topping lift was there first. I only use the topping lift if motoring in significant chop, but people can't rely on leaning on the boom for support without the topping lift, which is normally left attached to the stearn rail with a bungy so I can use it if needed. Model Purchase Ratio Boat Size ; Easykick 1 : 8:1 Easykick 2 : 8:1 Easykick 3 : 20:1. This is very handy for a few reasons. The following is a sceniaro where a strong topping lift might be a good idea. If I follow you correctly, you seem to recommend using the next smallest boom kicker and using the main halyard as the topping lift (while flacking for instance),.... but do you recommend then not having a topping lift? For sailing, the boom should drop low enough to pull the sail tight. Mine does not look or FEEL too good. 35 - 45 feet . Eliminating the hang-ups, adjustments and chafe of a topping lift. When the main goes down the boom is held (dangerously low) by the lazy jacks until you clip the main halyard to its end and use that as a topping lift. I have a boom kicker and it works well. EasyKick. but my main is pretty stretched out so i modded the topping lift to be adjustable, it has a cam cleat on the end of the boom. The ‘main’ reason (pun intended) is it allows the user a quick way to de-power the booms sail if needed and also helps to support the boom much like a boom topping lift. The vang allows vertical adjustment of the boom, and is an extremely important tool to shape the main for speed. Absolutely! Often the kicker needs adjusting to stop the top of the sail twisting too much when sailing off the wind and on a run. Boom Kicker And Solid Vang Performance Boost Either a solid vang or the Boom Kicker can be installed in such a fashion that they will lift the boom and permit the main to spill air which will allow you to keep the main raised longer before a reef is necessary. Barton Boomstruts support the weight of the main boom rendering the topping lift redundant. the boom and the kicker slider. In light air, lifting the boom opens the leech for a faster sail shape and more speed. If the boom is sheeted in, the rods will bend and produce a force upwards. At the mast end, the Boomkicker® K0750 attachment is a stainless plate with the ends bent out to hold a vertical pin and an aluminum rod with two threaded holes. On the largest boats, a hydraulic piston model is a good option when the vang is too difficult to handle manually. The mainsail is raised up the mast by the main halyard, a rope or wireline that rises from deck level to the masthead, through a block, and down to a shackle that connects to the top corner of the mainsail, the head. The boom vang, kicking strap or kicker is an intricate set of pulleys (and, on yachts, a hydraulic ram) running diagonally between the boom and the lower portion of the mast. Standard vang spring will not support their weight. Installing a Boomkicker is quick and easy (actually takes less time than watching this video). "Hard on the kicker when we get to the leeward mark". When not in use, the lashing is tensioned to take up the slack. 12. £ 323.00 inc VAT. my topping lift was fixed, it is a steel cable from mast top down. For example, if someone else had KKJ65, that person would have a pair of kings with jack kicker . Tightening the kicker will close the leech decreasing twist. hard vang, or boom kicker, gets its name because it not only is able to haul the boom down but also pushes it up. The only drawback that I see is sail shape in light winds, but as I am only cruising it does not matter. Tension the vang to tighten the leech, flatten the sail and bend the mast. Easing the kicker allows the boom to rise, opening the leech and increasing twist. - For a boom kicker or a rigid vang you'll still need something to hold up the boom when you release everything from the mast to put up the pop top. Link to post Share on other sites. N.B. When the boat is running away from the wind the sheet will be fully eased and so the kicker becomes the primary means of controlling sail twist. Note of Caution: Furling booms weigh as much as 3 times as much as standard booms. My topping lift is cleated off at the mast and length adjusted so it does not flap around too much with the sail up and will hold the boom where I want it when the sail is down. In rough weather and sea conditions it is prudent to set a topping lift in case of a gooseneck failure or other boom equipment failure. The halyard may also rise up through the mast to reduce windage aloft, as in the boat shown in this photo, and exit at a point near the deck. Contrary to belief, rod kickers do not exert more force downwards. My vang does this a bit, but the kicker looks a little better for that. The fiberglass rods are fraying and if you rub against it you will know it for a few days! A 1,000 pounds maybe. Weight aloft also is reduced. With the new vang in place I then arranged a sail to suit and I asked him some weeks later how he found the new arrangement. You let three or four of your heaviest crew hang on the boom as you swing it outboard as you try to heel the boat enough for the keel to clear the mud to get free. I am revisiting and possibly replacing my topping lift and I have never used the boom kicker but have had it on the wish list for years. - Mark A. I know this is a simple job, but I've never done it before, so I want to be sure I do it right.\u000B\u000BI need to install a cleat for my topping lift on the mast. Tie the strop to the end fitting. lifts the boom when vang is released dispenses with the topping lift Select No Gas, Normal Gas or Hard Gas. How do I select the size of the cleat? With the sails rolled on the boom, the Boomkicker is fine alone. Here are Quantum's David Flynn's insights for Mark A. and everyone else who's wondered about how to properly use the boom vang. I usually just lift the boom up with the reefing line using copious amounts of adrenaline and don't touch the topping lift at all. For example there is neither a topping lift nor a kicker. Welcome to Boomkicker, the simple affordable solution to a mechanical or rigid boom vang and eliminating the topping lift A kicker is the highest card that is unrelated to the type of poker hand one has. Mine is probably12 years old and the previous owner was not into covering the boat all summer! Dog 666 Dog 666 Super Anarchist; Members; 666 38,571 posts #3; Posted April 11, 2015. The for-ward end has a spliced eye and a “guardrail” type lashing. This line would run from near the free end of the boom(s) forward to the top of the mast. If you order a new Back Stay from Catalina Direct it will have a pig tail on it unless you specifically request to delete it. On some boats, the topping lift is fixed, having been set to hold the boom up when the sail is lowered but not so tight that it pulls the boom up when the sail is raised. Reefing is safer and easier with better boom control. I like the vang, so now while sailing I remove the topping lift from the boom and just use it at the dock reduce strain on the vang. Topping Lift Thanks, George but at the risk of seeming dense I still don't understand what a "Boomkicker" is. The EasyKick is a boom topping lift and kicker in one. my halyards, main sheet and now the topping lift all can be reached from the wheel. ‘Alarmed by his experience, he took my advice. The boom vang can be a misunderstood sail control. In light air, a boomkicker provides better sail shape by lifting the boom and opening the leech. Attatch it to the back stay or other aft position. What's left is clew height, which is necessarily by way of topping lifts at boom-end, and a vanging type control below the sail's foot from the same point to mast below tack. The topping lift (more rarely known as an uphaul) is a line which applies upward force on a boom on a sailboat.. Part of the running rigging, topping lifts are primarily used to hold a boom up when the sail is lowered. How about the idea of just using a … Applying Tef-Gel to Boomkicker Fitting . I have never seen or used a topping line so I have nothing to compare the BK to. I think the kicker has an advantage of pushing the boom up without the need for a topping lift under sail to open up the leach in light air. Transferticker Faceboo . It takes over the job of pulling down on the boom once the mainsheet is eased. The kicker needs to be securely located on the boom to prevent possible damage. Radially staggered leaves give an 8 part purchase ratio whilst preventing twists and rope friction. Option ... A rodkicker without gas spring prevents the boom from dropping dangerously in the event of a topping lift failure, during mainsail reefing or dropping. It allows adjustment of the boom from a line in the cockpit without standing on the cockpit seats. Your sail is down, the mail halyard is at the mast and you are motoring and run aground. Boat performance is improved with less weight and windage aloft. ‘I think you should consider an adjustable vang with a gas strut to hold the boom up without a topping lift.’ I proceeded to enumerate the advantages of this change. Boom Vangs are mounted between the Mast and the Boom and are used to keep the Boom from rising (without using the main sheet), and, in the case of Hard Vangs, to support the Boom (without using a topping lift). No topping lift is required when using the boomkicker. By controlling leech tension, the boom vang is one of the three methods of controlling sail twist. the way the sail was cut makes the boom lift when the sail is raised. EasyKick BoomTopping Lift/Kicker. I am familiar with a boom crotch, usually a wooden stand on larger boats that supports the boom when the sails are furled but am not sure that's what you mean. Upwind, the mainsheet pulls down as soon as the boom is Windage of spar is reduced by half by using a single (one side only) spar. Here a topping lift makes most sense, or you can use the factory pig tail if you still have one. A topping lift has only two slight advantages over a boomkicker (or rigid vang): 1: lower cost 2: will hold more weight if someone falls on it In all other regards a booomkicker is better. I have the following questions:\u000B\u000B1. I sail with a soft vang, and have never had a hard one. Depending on the specification of the line, an existing topping lift may serve as a spare halyard. The vang is merely a strong line attached to the front and aft of the boom. Boom Kicker... flexible fibreglass rods which provide the force to support the boom. Do I really need one? A boom vang (US) or kicking strap (UK ... e.g. The choice between a rigid and a flexible vang depends on the size of the vessel and the risks associated with the boom dropping if the topping lift is accidentally slacked. Share this post. To pull it down you clip another line into it, feed it through a block at the toe rail and winch it down. On some sailing boats, such as the 49er, rather than a set of lines pulling the boom downwards, a rigid member is used to push the boom down. Vangs are normally mounted as close to the deck as possible (on the Mast), and from 30 to 40% of the Boom length aft (on the Boom). The kicker pulls the boom downwards. My kicker came without a gas cylinder and I have not felt the need to instal one, preferring to keep a topping-lift in place as an extra line to the masthead. This provides several beneficial effects for the sailor. Hinge the mast down, remove the two bolts that serve as hinge pins, and mast and booms just lift free from the mast stub. 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