Scott Boomlock

[Guest]

I think I'll invest a proper boomlock/preventer for next season for my sailing boat and was wondering if anybody has used the Scott Boomlock one which can be found on http://www.boomlock.com. Does it work as advertised? Any chance that the preventer line might get fouled?

There is also a another one available, the Dutchman Boom Brake which can be purchased from sailnet.com but after some thinking the Scott one seems to be better one.

 

[ccscott49]

Scott boomlock is a wonderful piece of kit, reccomend it. No links with the maker, (who has now sold the rights I believe)

 

[mikenda - delete]

I also had one for several years on a moody 31 excellent

 

[jamesjermain]

I have one too. As a gybe preventer is is great and probably saved my life on at least one occasion.

One draw back, though, is that it is impossible to tension the leeward line sufficiently, in light winds and a rolly sea, for it to prevent completely the boom slatting back and forward a few inches. I have therefor found it necessary to add an extra preventer in these conditions to put the main completely to sleep.

JJ

 

[ccscott49]

Funnily enough I found that aswell, so I have a gybe preventer rigged aswell, from my sheeting point on the boom, to anywhere suitable.

 

[Guest]

Re: Scott Boomlock - an alternative

I'm currently trying an abseiling device, its reversable, offers good friction, has no moving parts, is tested to 7000 kgs and I have one from my old climbing days. I've also tried a reversable knot called an "italian hitch" it also works well in slowing he passage of the boom. Anyone else tried these ideas?

-b-

 

[Guest]

Re: Scott Boomlock - an alternative

What kind of device you are using? I guess the abseiling devices might be a little bit cheaper that dedicated devices...

 

[Guest]

Re: Scott Boomlock - an alternative

I've got about ten different abseil devices but only one is reversable (other than the rope hitch). Mine was made by a welsh company Clog, although copies did exist, and it looked like 2 circles of aluminium welded together. The wire was about 15mm dia, the large ring 60mm dia and the small about 20mm dia. The whole thing was actually die cast or a forging and tested to 7000kg so adequate I'd say. It would be interersting to know if anyone else has tried the Clog decender.

-b-

 

[ccscott49]

I have also seen a bronze device, which you basically wrapped the rope around and it used friction, to simply slow the boom down, but you couldn't release it. I have one, but never fitted it, I bought a Scott.

 

[incognito]

I am told by my alpine friend that we could use either a carabiner brake (biner cross)

http://www.bielefeldt.de/karabinerbremsee.htm

or a bachmann knot (prusik derivative)

http://www.ema.gov.au/textonly/extranet/pdfs/storm_damage_operations/04.pdf

with the addition of very little imagination to work out how to use.

I am going to spend some time working on this, but clearly, knots on which alpinists are happy to pin their lives (that they will only <underline>slip in a controlled way</underline> ) are a strong possibility as a preventer.

 

[SloopJohnB]

Matti,

Sadly, I understand that Mr Scott, the inventor and owner of the business has died very recently and they have no stocks of the model Boomlock 2 at the moment. I don't know about the model Boomlock 1 however, but I suspect that its model 2 you are after.

 

[ccscott49]

Actually I thought he had sold the business some time ago, thats what he told me anyway. sad loss, a bit of an inventor.

 

[SloopJohnB]

Colin,

I believe that they are looking for buyers at the moment. Recent sad and tragic events are a sobering reminder of just what a good invention it is.

 

[ccscott49]

Isn't that the truth. When I met him at beaulie, he sauid he was selling, maybe he didn't, or obviously he diidn't, really nice chap he was aswell, another sad loss.