Rigging Advice - Topping Lift? Boom Vang?

[SV_Delphinia]

Hello,
I recently purchased a 1991 MacGregor 26 that had been sitting dry docked for several years and have begun refitting her. I am pretty new to sailing; I have been on my friends' hobie cats, and my wife and I met while crewing on the tallships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain, but have never owned a sailboat.

So far I have done a deep clean and refitted the interior, replacing the faucet, fresh water pump, fresh water tank, light fixtures, battery, switch panel, wiring, cushions, etc. Now I have made my way topside and am trying to figure out the rigging.

I don't see a topping lift or a boom vang, which I have seen on pretty much every other boat I've looked at. Is my boat missing this rigging? Do other Mac owners fare well without such things?

I see the leash connected to the backstay, am I to clip the boom to this leash to attach the mainsail, then unclip the boom once the mainsail is unfurled? What about the boom vang, is it "optional"?

Topping lifts and boom vangs seem pretty universal, so I was surprised to not see them, and figured I'd ask! Thanks for any help.

[Jimmyt]

Don't know about the 26S topping lift.

A vang is definitely optional, depending on what type of sailing you plan to do. It's nice to have one in certain circumstances, but I wouldn't necessarily put that near the top of your to-do list.

[Russ]

The previous owner probably used the "leash" method to hold the boom off the deck until the main was hoisted.
That system works fine, however many of us have a topping lift. Mine is a simple line run from the top of the mast to the boom with 2 clips. One clip up high to get the boom high and away from banging people's heads, and a lower clip for holding the boom until the main is hoisted (shown here).



Vang? This is a performance feature to keep the sail flat. Especially downwind. I don't have one. Your previous owner must not have either. It's easy enough to add.

[Tomfoolery]

My topping lift goes over a block at the top of the mast and down to where I can change the length at a cleat. I never change the length after it's rigged in the spring. I wind it around the boom a couple of times to raise it for head clearance when I'm not sailing. What Russ showed is common and perfectly fine.

A boom vang is not really needed, especially if you're new to sailing. I'd suggest getting some experience, like a few years' worth, before bothering with it.

A boom kicker will serve both as a topping lift and a vang, but really, I'd just run a line to the top with a snap at the end for quick rigging.

[SV_Delphinia]

Thanks so much for the advice! Rigging a topping lift seems simple enough, and looks like it would be better than relying on the boom leash. I will also follow advice and get to know how she sails before installing a boom vang.

Thanks again for the quick and helpful advice!

[Inquisitor]

Boom leash??? - I'm guessing that is some line tied to a backstay several feet above where the boom usually swings. Having an M, I don't have that option, but I would think having that little pig-tail would be better than my topping lift. The pig-tail can just tie-off to the boat, while the topping lift has to run all the way down the leech. and has to have at least two lengths... hanging loose and holding the boom at the desired height. Not that it affects performance much... it's right there in the slip stream behind the sail flopping around. I'd rather not have the topping lift... but a rigid boom vang isn't in the project list for a while.

[Sea Shadow]

I have a "Boom Kicker" fitted which keeps the boom up when the mainsail is furled. No need for a topping lift for this purppose. To get the boom out of the way when tied up I move the boom to the side and tie to the life tlne opposite to the side I am tied up to. I have a topping lift fitted (sort of) as a part of my Dutchman furling system if I need to lift the boom right up (which I do to fit the boom kicker when setting up). I also have the standard vang fitted which I a looking at leading back to the cockpit.