Boom Brake or home made preventer?

[idpnd]

Mainshhet part hauled.

At that point we were in the habit of hauling the mainsheet in until the boom lock stopped it, then gybing and slowly releasing the boom to cross the boat.

Fair enough, I suppose you want to get something for your GBP 500 toy as well

As I said I inherited it from the previous owner, to date I havent used it "for gybing purposes" and I probably won't rely on it, thanks for the info..

I found tightening it so it doesnt move it all (as in a classic preventer) to work rather well, and I wouldnt expect it to rip apart the boom in taht position.

 

[flaming]

I found tightening it so it doesnt move it all (as in a classic preventer) to work rather well, and I wouldnt expect it to rip apart the boom in taht position.

That's what we did. And no, we didn't expect it to either....

 

[samwise]

Quite a range of responses, but I think the "trad" preventer lobby has it. The Wichard device looks a clever piece of kit and according to the fragrant Ms Purves, (YM Dec issue) does double duty by keeping the mainsail quiet in light airs, but £200 plus seems a lot to lay out and falls short on my cost/benefit analysis.

 

[Lady Campanula]

This looks like a useful bit of kit, but at over £200, I'm expecting the cashier to wear a mask and carry a blunderbuss

At that price, on my low-budget 24 footer it just ain't going to happen but, on a 24 footer, the loads aren't that high. Would a bow shackle fixed to the boom with the friction line attached like a reef knot work provided the line's kept reaonably taut?

This item of climbing equipment, available across the UK, works as a boom brake as well as that above, but at less than one-tenth of the price. Go figure.....

 

[prv]

It seems to me that a a 4 purchase tackle from the end of the boom to the stern quarter with tail not cleated could slow the boom down in the gybe as it has to drag all the rope through the pulleys. There would be a lot of rope lying around. Especially with similar on the other side. Except that you could use one rope through 2 tackles so as one pulls out the other is taken in. The tackle could be fitted closer to the gooseneck with less power but out of the way on the cabin top.
What does the panel think.

I think you've just reinvented the boom brake.

Pete

 

[dulcibella]

My experience of the Scott boomlock is fairly negative. My boat (a Rustler 36) came from her first owner with one, but the geometry of it meant remembering to crawl under it when going forward with a safety-line clipped to the jackstay. Once it nearly did for us when we gybed between Ortac and Burhou with a strong north-going tide. The brake line took a turn round the aft end of the braking cylinder, neatly preventing the intended gybe. By the time we had gybed back, released the turn and gybed again we were about 20m from the rapidly approaching bricks. I gave it to a friend in exchange for a couple of pints and have used a proper preventer ever since.

 

[BelleSerene]

I prefer to use a gybe preventer that can be released from the cockpit in the event that a gybe is required... On balance I think I prefer the certainty that the boom will not gybe.

In their instructions which are available online, Wichard propose an alternative rigging for their Boom Brake which does allow easy cockpit adjustment and release. The line goes from one chainplate to the boom widget, and then down to a block at the mast base and aft to a coachroof jammer/ winch.

Rob Whelton's idea to adapt a figure-of-eight from a climbing harness, as illustrated by Lady Campanula, is an intriguing one. As I've been thinking of getting a boom brake (NB a brake is not a preventer; it just slows the boom moving over) and I have a climbing descender, I'll try this first!

If there's a problem with using a figure-of-eight descender it'll be that it doesn't impose enough friction on a 40-odd foot boat. Some views at [www.navagear.com/2009/05/21/wichard-gybeasy-boom-brake-a-climbers-figure-eight-on-steroids/]. But combined with Wichard's alternative rigging method which allows the friction to be easily adjusted from the cockpit, it has to be tried.

Any test results, anyone?

 

[Carrickman]

Boom Brake

I've also got a Walder Boom Brake. It's a superb piece of kit and I can most highly recommend it.

 

[tdw]

This item of climbing equipment, available across the UK, works as a boom brake as well as that above, but at less than one-tenth of the price. Go figure.....

That was suggested to me not so long ago. For approx AUD25.00 is seemed like a reasonable idea. We've not used it in anything over 15knots but it seems to be working thus far.

Its hung from the boom as per the Wichard thingy, installation essentially the same.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Doing a bit of googling, a 'rescue eight' might be more appropriate.... same as piccie above, but with 'wings' to prevent a knot forming.... and only a few quid more....

 

[tdw]

Morgana,

Nice refinement of the basic design. Very interesting indeed. Thanks for that.