Gybe Preventer

[NDH]

I would like to set up a preventer that can be used on both sides so the boat can be gybed without having to leave the cockpit at all. I read an article describing this possible set up but cannot remember where.

Any reccomendations or advice welcomed

Thanks

[hpeer]

Good Old Boat had a well illustrated article a few years ago. Generally you put a pully/handy billy between the toe rail a the boom with the leads coming back to a turning block behind the cockpit. Most folks recommend attaching as close to the tip of the boom as possible in case you dip the boom.

My rig up is different as I have a gallows at the aft end of my cabin and my wheel is right up against the bridge deck. I used a couple of 1:4 boom vangs to the toe rail with the cam cleat on the boom. I step up on the bridge deck and do my adjustments from there. But that is a pretty unusual situation.

[svHyLyte]

See Welcome to the website DutchmanBoomBrake.com

[Andrew Troup]

Another good discussion here

[jeremiason]

I second the Dutchman Boom Brake...

We have a 47 foot boat with a Leisure Furl Boom, that is pretty heavy.

We have used the Dutchman as a Boom Brake/Preventer for five years without problems and in all kinds of weather.

[S/V Alchemy]

At 47 feet I would go for the Dutchman as well.

At 40 feet, I would go for it for passagemaking on the oceans, where avoiding not just the crash gybe in rolling seas, but the damage of a crash gybe to boom, blocks and gooseneck is critical.

Were I just doing mostly fair-weather coastal and I wanted controlled gybes downwind? I would think the purchases led forward to bow (traditional) or toerail near the mast (less good but cheaper) using a pair of preventers running 7/16ths or 1/2 inch line would suffice.

You have to judge that part for yourself. My pair of preventers cost about $100 all in, but are for a 33 footer. I'd go up two sizes for my cutter, which is 41 LOA.

[barnakiel]

Well, the best gybe preventer is your driving skills!

Alas ;-) have a look at that small Wichard gizmo. You just shackle it to the boom and lead a line thru it. It is very simple to set up. It is a bit pricey though.

My fave method is to rig a line from boom's end forward to a block and then back to a cleat in the cockpit. I hang the preventer(s) down from bungee attached so that when you gybe the preventer(s) does not catch deck equipment. Inexpensive (line, 2 blocks, 2 cleats) and efficient.

b.

[hpeer]

Put a Dutchman on our big boat. So far so good.

However it just happened to fit very well.

I can see it being a bit more problem depending on the boat and configuration.

I got lucky and am happy.

[barnakiel]

Remember if your boat has a long boom or a low hanging boom, then you want the preventer as far aft (on the boom) as practicable. Such booms prevented mid-length sometimes snap when the boom catches water.

b.

[s/v Beth]

Has anyone just tried snatch blocks at each midship cleat with one end tied to the boom and the other secured in the cockpit? two more lines but (only one more for me) adjustable and secure for night sailing....
Note: this is just a thought experiment- it has not been tested on the boat yet!

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

Has anyone just tried snatch blocks at each midship cleat with one end tied to the boom and the other secured in the cockpit? two more lines but (only one more for me) adjustable and secure for night sailing....
Note: this is just a thought experiment- it has not been tested on the boat yet!

This is the proper boom braker - will break your boom if you catch a wave. If you tie the lines to the boom's end then it is not very preventive - due to the angle the line goes from the cleat to the boom.

Another risk is when your boom is sheeted aft but braked this way to the center of the boom - you can either bend or brake the boom this way, if you 'forget yourself'.

Still, it works. Just beware of the pitfalls.


b.

[rigormortis]

Newt:
I use a system as you mentioned and wondered about. A piece of webbing tied around the boom 2/3 the way aft and two lines tied to the webbing. The lines then simply go through the midships cleats and back to secondary winch. I have had the system working now for 3 years from PNW-Chile-Thailand and no dramas. Most gybes for me, a slow cruising singlehander are semi-controlled. I bring the boom close to midships with the mainsheet, let the sail gybe, and then slowly release one of the lines to allow the boom to follow. The mainsheet is then loosened to allow the boom to assume a righteous position and both anti-gybe lines snugged down. I feel better when going on deck knowing that the boom won't chuck me into the chuck. The lines are another deck-walking hazard, though. With enough wind and wind vane steering, there are no gybes. When the wind is light and downwind is when unwanted gybes can occur but these are not boom-braking conditions it would seem.
My 2c
Pete

[Capt.Don]

A climbers figure 8 for around $35 works the same as the wichard gybn'easy. I thought about one of (several) boom brakes and ended up with a simple block and tackle lead from the toe-rail to mid boom.
Don

[rigormortis]

Don:
Are you hanging the figure of 8 (I happen to have one) from the boom and then to the block leads and back to the cockpit? That is one line from Stb. cleat to toerail block to the boom's figure of 8 and on to the port side and back to cockpit?
Pete

[Capt.Don]

Originally Posted by rigormortis

Don:
Are you hanging the figure of 8 (I happen to have one) from the boom and then to the block leads and back to the cockpit? That is one line from Stb. cleat to toerail block to the boom's figure of 8 and on to the port side and back to cockpit?
Pete

Pete, That's what I considered. The Wichard documentation shows several ways to configure their Gybn'easy. The first is a single line lead to a pair of blocks by the shrouds and lead back to the winches. An alternative is to attach the boom preventer to a single line lead back to the cockpit which is used to adjust the tension and another line. The installation, mounting blocks, lead(s) to cockpit winches,.... I decided was too much work.

I finally decided that a pair of vangs (block and tackle with snap-shackles) connected mid-boom and to the toe-rail or deck cleat would be easier to use and is more flexible. For the majority of our sailing, I didn't want the complexity of rigging the boom preventer. I think if we were doing long-distance running, a permanent boom preventer would be something I'd reconsider.

From what I can tell, the climber's 8 works very well as a boom preventer. The Winchard device is probably easier to adjust the number of wraps. The climber's 8 with ears can be locked down. There are several u-tube videos on how to use the climber's 8. If/when I do this, I'd go the $35 climber's 8.

Don