Selden Rodkicker to change the gas or not to change.. that's the question..

[Kala]

Hi all

I've been sailing with my bav 36 2002 for about 3 years without to change the gas of the Selden Rodckicker rigid boom vang.. I've always thought that the topping lift was enough and I would like to know if you do think that it's something important to change that gas piston and which advantages I'll get thinking that my topping lift and the rigid boom vang (without gas) seems enough... Thanks!!

[IslandAlchemy]

I haven't bothered. I just use the topping lift, which works fine.

[Kala]

Thanks IslandAlchemy!

I agree but I was recently sailing with another boat and it was very easy and fast to depower the mainsail letting the kicker loose, the boom went up when arriving at the anchorage spot and it seemed me interesting.. I am unsure (I was at the bow and didn't ask later) if they just released the kicker or they just use the topping lift.. Anyway, the problem for doing this quickly with a rigid boom vang is that before to use the topping lift you have to release mainsheet (that should be loose in a slow approach) but also the vang.. Not sure, just looking for a way to make it faster...

[IslandAlchemy]

Easing the vang will still de-power the sail whether you have a gas strut or not, so long as there's pressure in the sail, and if there isn't pressure, then you don't need to de-power.

[geoff]

Having had some car boot gas struts fail years ago I decided against the selden system when I ordered my boat [2001] Instead I have a spring strut from a French maker [cant remember who]  Its like the Selden , but the gas strut is a big stainless spring. Has worked a treat now for 20 years ,nowt to go wrong. Geoff

[Rampage]

My kicker still has the original gas strut inside working fine after 21 years.

[Baddox]

The spring in our vang died last year.  I only realised when the boom dropped as I released the topping lift to tie in to it to go up the mast.  Until then I hadn’t paid it much attention but now appreciated the support it gave so replaced it.  It’s an easy fix.
Now the strut holding the companion way steps up over the engine bay has died and needs replacing.

[Jake]

How can you tell what's inside of the Selden boom vang without disassembling it?  Not sure if I have a big spring or a gas strut.  In either case, when I release the topping lift, the boom crashes on the bimini.  My last boat had a Navtec hydraulic vang, which I really liked.  Super adjustability and air pressure to hold up the boom.  I didn't even have a topping lift installed!

Jake
2004 B44

[Secret World]

I bought my Bav a few months ago and then realized the gas strut was shot the first time I took it out (thanks for nothing, surveyor.) I was trying to source the strut from Europe, then the US; ended up calling Blackline Marine here in Victoria BC and they had the exact replacement ($110). It takes 5 minutes to get the rodkicker off the boat, 5 minutes to open it up and replace the strut. Tino G on YouTube has a video on it. It now holds the boom at exactly the right angle to easily haul out the furling main--I wouldn't do without it.

[blue-max]

I need to  change mine but the price of a Selden gas spring is horrendous. There are alternative suppliers but so far none has a cross referenced chart to show the selden alternative. Can any one help?

[Yngmar]

The springs are standard parts, the specs are written on them (as you can see in Secret World's photo above).

I've replaced ours with this one:

GS14-27-250-300 Fixed Force Gas Strut
GS14-27-250-300
Enter a Force between 150 and 2500N
1200
1   £35.76

Supplied by https://www.sgs-engineering.com

Fitted without issue and kicker works fine. As the spring is completely enclosed inside the kicker frame, I've greased the entire tube with silicone grease to prevent any future rust (the original rusted heavily on the tube body).

[sy_Anniina]

Yngmar,

I assume You have furling mainsail - if so the same spring model should fit the aft-cockpit model from the same era.

Hundreds of thanks (one for each saved €  ) for this tip.

BR,

Tommi
s/y Anniina

[Yngmar]

You can just look at the existing gas spring, measure the dimensions and read off the force, which is customized at ordering (the spring is charged with the selected gas pressure at the warehouse).

It was this one, with 1200N force (same as in the photo above): https://www.sgs-engineering.com/gs14-27-250-300

Selden has instructions for replacing the spring: https://support.seldenmast.com/files/595-073-SET.pdf

[Jake]

It's definitely time to remove my Rod Kicker and figure out what is wrong inside.  I suspect a bad gas cylinder.  On the Bav 44 I would suspect it would be the 1200n cartridge.  Not know how much force it delivered when new, it's probably safe to go with whatever is in there now.

Jake