Other than being an un-intended back scratcher, we all know the boom vang on an H-16 is totally useless! (Alot like the human appendix.) I've always told people, it's there to hold your fuzzy dice. But there MUST be other uses for the darn thing! What creative uses for this thing, am I missing out on ???
On a Hobie 16 the boom vang is not necessary unless the boat does not have a main traveler. I think they originally came standard on the boats because so many of them were used for rental boats, and many rental boats did not have a traveler. When you don't have a traveler, the vang helps to control the boom height, especially downwind, making jibing less hazardous and pitchpole less likely.
So if you have a traveler on a Hobie 16, there is no reason to use a boom vang. At least not that I know of. You travel out, and then your mainsheet serves the same purpose as a vang, controlling boom height.
I agree with what you are saying works great for a boat with a non-rotating mast.
I have used a boom vang connected to the mast as an effective means to prevent mast rotation,
say in a lightish wind in a chop upwind.
If a rental used one, would it make mast rotation more difficult?
say it does rotate after the tack, then leech tension on the back of the boom after a tack
puts more tension on the vang further preventing mast rotation.
Murphy Law could set a change of events for things to break. ie. gooseneck
Just another thing to catch the crew with.
I would never put BV on a rental rotating mast, just another thing to.......etc.
The 1970ish travellers with the teflon bearings did not work last very long,
and in the mid to late 70's the roller bearings came out. It worked a lot little better,
but requires routine maintenance. My experience is few rentals are well maintained.
Most people who got a rental did not know what the traveler was for anyway,
and it barely slide, probably discouraging anyone from using the traveler.
In 70s PR the B.Vang originally came standard on the Hobie 14 and were used at the time
effectively straight downwind attaching it to the corner casting. However, we found out
fairly quickly the H16 does better tacking downwind. I think the B.V. was just carried
over from the H14, and it makes me wonder why it stayed on the H16 for so many years?
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The Hobie 18 also came with boom vang, and, just as with the 14 and 16, I assumed it was a safety feature for use on rental boats.
However, on our Hobie 18 we used the boom vang to force overrotation of the mast downwind, so at least it was useful for something.
In the old smoking days we tied a plastic weatherproof bottle to hold the cigs and lighter to the 16's vang hook on the boom. We could have a smoke downwind in 20 knots.
We tried a a black bungee as a vang on the 16 for an ultralight wind day on a little lake somewhere in Michigan in the 80's. I was driving and I told Tim that it was time to gibe. We jibed but the vang did not get released. The boat jibed but the boom didn't. That was the end of that.
Mary and Rick were probably there on their 18 and Carl Roberts was singlehanding his to another win.
Great Times!
Jack Kartz
I LIKE the waterproof bottle idea! This is the best suggestion I have heard yet!
I have always thought it would be cool to hang something useful from the hook,(like a six-pack of beer), but anything useful seems also to be too heavy to be safe. (Imagine during a jybe getting a six-pach in the head!)
A small waterproof bottle shouldn't hurt much, unless you get hit in the eye.
Then, I've always had the fantasy that an adventurous lovely lookin' crew might want to hang her bikini top fron it, while getting that little extra sun. -But alas, my crew seems to always look more like Garrison Keillor or Woody Allen.