boom brakes

[berwick]

I know a lot of people use preventors (anti jibe boom preventer or a purchase to an anchor point) etc. I am leaning towards boom brakes, looked at the Wichard gybe easy (or make my own with a figure 8 descender). I have researched the Dutchman and the Walder but am curious and trying to find out more about the Scott boomlock and the new Fleming Gybomatic. Anyone out there using one of the latter two, and does anyone have any vidoes of them in use while jibing?
Thanks,
Richard

[redbopeep]

Welcome aboard.

How big is the sail you're considering putting a boom brake on? (sf sail area, length of boom...). What sort of boat?

There are a few existing discussions about boom brakes/preventers here on CL that you might find interesting. You can google the site:cruiserlog.com and find things quickly.

http://www.cruiserlog.com/forums/f46...ters-1525.html

http://www.cruiserlog.com/forums/f46...rake-1991.html

Enjoy,

[berwick]

I am putting it on a Tartan 37C with a good roach so it would be about 275 sq ft. Must be people with either the Scott or the Fleming attached, but maybe they are all cruising

Richard

[mico]

We opted for the Wichard Gybe Easy. While the company were really helpful and accommodating, unfortunately the unit itself is not. It looks at first glance like simplicity itself and the price was pretty attractive as well - in reality the unit is no better than a homemade tie down preventer. The line goes hard in a couple of weeks and no matter how much soaking in fresh water you give it, jams are a continuous occurance. We were expecting a unit that operated much like the gravity seatbelts in car - under easy and non stressed movement, it would allow the boom to be eased out or hauled in a nice controlled manner; only braking under sudden and heavy load such as an unforeseen gybe.

The Gybe Easy does none of this and we have to constantly leave the cockpit to disengage it when we want to ease the boom or haul it in. Live and learn I guess

Fair winds


Mico

[Wildernesstech]

We have always opted to simply run lines forward from the boom to a block and then back to the cockpit, where we have control at a winch and can release quickly without leaving the cockpit. We have never had any trouble with this system, but we do have 4 cabintop winches. it is a little more work, but better than an accidental gybe!

[mico]

Oh yes - I totally agree. We used to have the traveller in the cockpit just in front of the hatch. 2am in the morning and we get a blow, accidental gybe and Robin was slammed into the side coaming by the traveller. Scared us both and that's when we started looking at a boom brake and moving the traveller outside the cockpit in front of the dodger on some raised bases. The new position of the traveller is fantastic and we are kicking ourselves for not doing it earlier - the cockpit is now massive!. We went for the Gybe Easy firstly because of its size as our boom is pretty low to the deck. What we should have done, and now have done - is exactly what you are doing - running some lines to a block setup.

As you say - an uncontrolled gybe is dangerous for the crew and the vessel - even more so for us as our side stays sweep back behind the mast and judging by the deep grazing halfway along our boom - previous owners have had a few - in fact I think they snapped the boom that way.

Fair winds,

Mico

[redbopeep]

We also are in the habit of using preventers. If reaching-to-broad reaching we'll run a vang type preventer from the mainsail boom end down to a mooring cleat on the aft deck or to the boom gallows. Similarly, we run a line down from the end of the foresail. We let the boomed staysail fend for itself in all this, typically. If running (or close to it) we want to have the attachment of the preventer to the boat as far forward as possible. So we have port and starboard preventers for the main and foresail. The main preventers attach to the boat about 2 boom lengths in front of the main mast. The fore preventers attach to the boat near the stem about 1.5 boom lengths in front of the foremast. We must exit the cockpit, go forward and release the preventer on one side before we can gibe. We don't gibe "standing" (I think that's the term when you've got all that line out and the boom can swing over in a rather uncontrolled manner) but rather we remove a preventer, haul in (centering) the sail and then gibe, letting out the sheet quickly. In our case, the foresail is gaff rigged so adds another little dance to do--loosen up the peak halyard and pull in on the gaff vang. Then reverse. We focus our gibe efforts on the mainsail and often when running (unless wing-on-wing) we don't even have the foresail up.

The entire exercise is like working your way into and out of a spiderweb on the leeward side of the boat. LOL.

Here's a couple pics. The first, on a run, the second while reaching. You can see the main preventer going forward on the first pic. The second pic shows our mid-ships spiderweb when running or reaching. What you're seeing is a look under the main boom at a combo of things. Can you see these in the spiderweb:

Jib sheet,
starboard main boom preventer attached to cleat,
reefing line hanging down under main boom,
foresail sheet,
dingy tied down to same cleat as preventer,
block bringing foresail gaff peak halyard back to cockpit,
foresail throat halyard going back to cockpit,
lazy jacks running parallel under foreboom,
breast-line temporarily run between main shrouds and fore shrouds,
winch for and tail of main outhaul on the main boom,
and finally the hanging down loops of the main topping lift tail which is wrapped around an unseen winch and cleat on the main boom.

A lot of lines.





PS you can also snap a boom using a preventer in the wrong circumstances especially if it is attached to the boom in a location not meant to be loaded up with the full sail load.