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- Sep 6, 2017
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Hi Maggie,
I don't know what type of ship you're building, but in my experience mostly with square riggers, the vangs provide the downward pull on the outer end of the gaff. If the ship you are building doesn't have vangs, then the topping lift which is usually attached near the base of the gaff and extends downward to the outer end of the boom will provide downward pressure, but the boom will also have a block rigged near the outer end that attaches to a block on the deck thus pulling the boom down which then pulls the gaff down via the topping lift. You can see the topping lift in this photo. It's the rope spanning across the sail to the outer end of the boom. Notice the block setup at about the 3/4 point on the boom lashing it to the deck. Those are the downward opposing forces to the peak halyards.
Bob
I don't know what type of ship you're building, but in my experience mostly with square riggers, the vangs provide the downward pull on the outer end of the gaff. If the ship you are building doesn't have vangs, then the topping lift which is usually attached near the base of the gaff and extends downward to the outer end of the boom will provide downward pressure, but the boom will also have a block rigged near the outer end that attaches to a block on the deck thus pulling the boom down which then pulls the gaff down via the topping lift. You can see the topping lift in this photo. It's the rope spanning across the sail to the outer end of the boom. Notice the block setup at about the 3/4 point on the boom lashing it to the deck. Those are the downward opposing forces to the peak halyards.
Bob
Hi Bob,
My build is a 1920 fisherman schooner. The plans show no lines from the gaffs that would pull them down to keep tension on the halyards. The boom topping lifts do not attach anywhere on the gaffs. On the main mast there is a single flag halyard that is attached to the end of the main gaff that helps with the gaff halyard tension, but no line on the fore gaff. I will hope that another builder has an idea, Thanks for your help and good luck with your builds.
Maggie
My build is a 1920 fisherman schooner. The plans show no lines from the gaffs that would pull them down to keep tension on the halyards. The boom topping lifts do not attach anywhere on the gaffs. On the main mast there is a single flag halyard that is attached to the end of the main gaff that helps with the gaff halyard tension, but no line on the fore gaff. I will hope that another builder has an idea, Thanks for your help and good luck with your builds.
Maggie
That is strange as it seems as if the plans must have omitted them by mistake. I wish I knew more about the subject to offer more help. The only other thing to do is to do an image search on Google to find more.
I found this info that I had stuffed back on boom vangs and rigging of the sorts. Can you post an image of the section you need help on, I can perhaps offer some tips. This is just the Boom vangs and not the rigging to add tension to the boom at aft. You will still need some arrangement of a block and tackle to attach to the Boom (gaff) at aft to add tension like you said. However, it is not evident if the block and tackle would be mounted a middle of deck or two of them mounted on each side of railings.
