Check your curved vang key!!!

[thieuster]

Second posting tonight, but important enough (I think) to post a seperate item about the curved vang key.

My son checked his boat last Sunday before all gear is up for transport to Hyères for the Europa Cup next week. I think he never checks the state of the tiny curved vang. But this time he did! The key was hardly 'alive' anymore! The 'hat' on top of the curved part was almost torn off. Only visible when he turned the key upside down for a look. Two small crack on both sides of the curved part. More than 50% was 'gone'.

A quick online order solved the problem. The new one is thicker. Which is encouraging, but still has the same construction of 'hat' and curved part.

Perhaps worth checking your boat's curved vang key?

Menno

 

[ang]

which vang do you have? the new style vang you can fit 2 of them. that way when it snapps you have a 2nd one ready to go

 

[LaLi]

This was much more of a problem 20 years ago when you had to use the "straight" key. It didn't fit the key fitting very well, and as the vang pulled on it at different angles, it was prone to breaking. It was common then to have a spare key ready to go, but the curved key pretty much ended that practice. Thanks for reminding that this can still happen!

If you want to have two keys on the key block, then you can't use the newer Harken 466, because it has a narrow head which I believe was specifically designed to take exactly one Laser vang key! Use the 312, Allen 4993 or similar instead. Or something completely different

_.