sailorman
Well-known member
"Braill er up me Boy Braill er up "
Rigging a boom preventer
- Thread starter Sixpence
- Start date
CliveG
Well-known member
On a charter yacht we had regular use of, I used to rig a 8mm line through the boom end with a stopper knot close each side of the boom end.
When not in use the line was held to each side of the boom and was long enough to be reached from deck with the boom right out and had a soft eye at each end.
The line is kept against the boom be a length of bungee feed through the goose-neck fitting.
There is a line rigged through a block on the fore deck and back to the cockpit with a snap shackle on the end.
This allows the preventer to be set after a gybe.
When not in use the line was held to each side of the boom and was long enough to be reached from deck with the boom right out and had a soft eye at each end.
The line is kept against the boom be a length of bungee feed through the goose-neck fitting.
There is a line rigged through a block on the fore deck and back to the cockpit with a snap shackle on the end.
This allows the preventer to be set after a gybe.
Koeketiene
Well-known member
Don't put yourself down like that - you can be both /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
CPD
Well-known member
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for that, but what happens if the boom is off to one side, and as you bring it in ready to tack, the line is then the wrong side of the mast ?
Is it then a case of unclip it, feed it around the mast and clip it on again ?
Sorry if this seams a bit thicko but can't quite get my head around it
[/ QUOTE ]
Spot on. I have only accidentally gybed once and if there is any question now then I'll rig a preventer as you described. Question I have never figured out the answer to though is what would happen if the wind got behind the sail with the preventer attached. Depends on whether the genoa is set i guess.
Thanks for that, but what happens if the boom is off to one side, and as you bring it in ready to tack, the line is then the wrong side of the mast ?
Is it then a case of unclip it, feed it around the mast and clip it on again ?
Sorry if this seams a bit thicko but can't quite get my head around it
[/ QUOTE ]
Spot on. I have only accidentally gybed once and if there is any question now then I'll rig a preventer as you described. Question I have never figured out the answer to though is what would happen if the wind got behind the sail with the preventer attached. Depends on whether the genoa is set i guess.
Sixpence
Active member
Oh I can /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif and do /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif often /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Sixpence
Active member
I presume that's why a week point is built into the system so that goes before any permanent damage is done ?
Gargleblaster
Well-known member
[ QUOTE ]
Question I have never figured out the answer to though is what would happen if the wind got behind the sail with the preventer attached.
[/ QUOTE ]
I use preventers on each side running through blocks fastened to the bottom of my stanchions well forward. One end is to a bowline on the ubolt where the mainsheet attaches other cleated in the cockpit. I use 8mm non stretch halyard line. When the boom is on the other side the lazy preventer I can detach from the boom but more often I leave it attached and it's then just another rope in the cockpit to fall over.
I have been backwinded with the preventer as I prefer to sail 'by the lee' when downwind as I get better wind in my genoa. The only effect, if everything is tight enough, of backwinding is that the main cracks across and the boom is still in the same place - no problems. Adjust your course and off you go again.
I also find the preventers critical in conditions of no wind. Even if the main is almost on teh centreline, one preventer on hard will stop a lot of the slapping back and forth that is so annoying in any form of seaway.
Question I have never figured out the answer to though is what would happen if the wind got behind the sail with the preventer attached.
[/ QUOTE ]
I use preventers on each side running through blocks fastened to the bottom of my stanchions well forward. One end is to a bowline on the ubolt where the mainsheet attaches other cleated in the cockpit. I use 8mm non stretch halyard line. When the boom is on the other side the lazy preventer I can detach from the boom but more often I leave it attached and it's then just another rope in the cockpit to fall over.
I have been backwinded with the preventer as I prefer to sail 'by the lee' when downwind as I get better wind in my genoa. The only effect, if everything is tight enough, of backwinding is that the main cracks across and the boom is still in the same place - no problems. Adjust your course and off you go again.
I also find the preventers critical in conditions of no wind. Even if the main is almost on teh centreline, one preventer on hard will stop a lot of the slapping back and forth that is so annoying in any form of seaway.
AliM
New member
Yes. That is how you would do it.
You can either rig a do-everything boom preventer (as described by other posters), which you said further up that you wouldn't bother to do, or you can rig one up just when it is going to be really useful - when you have a long run in bumpy seas.
My point was, that if you haven't already got one rigged, you can use a spare line to do the job quite easily. You probably won't bother if you are going to be tacking (or even gybing) often, or in crowded waters where you might have to change course at short notice.
You can either rig a do-everything boom preventer (as described by other posters), which you said further up that you wouldn't bother to do, or you can rig one up just when it is going to be really useful - when you have a long run in bumpy seas.
My point was, that if you haven't already got one rigged, you can use a spare line to do the job quite easily. You probably won't bother if you are going to be tacking (or even gybing) often, or in crowded waters where you might have to change course at short notice.
bastonjock
Member
ive been hit on the head by my boom,even a light boom leaves a bump and a cut.
On my DS course we had a preventer rigged,it was very simple,the clip sat on the sliding hatch when not in use,the lines left in a "V" shape with one end going through the port forward cleat and the other through the starboard cleat,the lines then returned to the side of the hatch and was fed through a jammer,it was very simple and effective.
On my DS course we had a preventer rigged,it was very simple,the clip sat on the sliding hatch when not in use,the lines left in a "V" shape with one end going through the port forward cleat and the other through the starboard cleat,the lines then returned to the side of the hatch and was fed through a jammer,it was very simple and effective.
eastcoastbernie
New member
Dave - I very rarely bother about a preventer and don't have any apparatus permanently rigged. But if I am running by the lee with the boom looking unsafe, AND, importantly, I expect to be on the same course for a considerable time, I would tie a spare bit of rope from the end of the boom back to a cleat on the deck forward of the mast.
This would normally be when the boat was goose-winged, with the headsail held on the opposite side to the mainsail, poled out with the spinnaker pole. And I wouldn't go to the bother of poling out unless I was expecting to be on the same course for a long time.
So a preventer might be rigged during a North Sea crossing if the wind was directly behind us. But I would never use one in a river when constantly altering course to avoid other boats, to follow the bends in the river, etc. And it would be rare for me to rig a preventer when following the coast around as course correction is usually required for sandbanks, traffic, windshifts, etc.
So no need for you to worry about it except perhaps to think about where you might tie an odd bit of rope on the rare occasions when you might need one.
This would normally be when the boat was goose-winged, with the headsail held on the opposite side to the mainsail, poled out with the spinnaker pole. And I wouldn't go to the bother of poling out unless I was expecting to be on the same course for a long time.
So a preventer might be rigged during a North Sea crossing if the wind was directly behind us. But I would never use one in a river when constantly altering course to avoid other boats, to follow the bends in the river, etc. And it would be rare for me to rig a preventer when following the coast around as course correction is usually required for sandbanks, traffic, windshifts, etc.
So no need for you to worry about it except perhaps to think about where you might tie an odd bit of rope on the rare occasions when you might need one.
Sixpence
Active member
Good thinking, thanks
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