Magma Flopperstopper effective?

[Clipper4730]

Hey y’all just curious if any one has any first hand experience with either the magma flopperstopper or the everlasting flopstopper. Thinking of adding one to our cruising kit. There are some really great anchorages that would be a hell of a lot more pleasant if we could dampen the roll from the ground swell as we swing. Anyway just checking if one might be worth it. The magma is way cheaper but a bit smaller than the everlasting flopstopper.

Thanks again in advance
Will

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by Clipper4730

Hey y’all just curious if any one has any first hand experience with either the magma flopperstopper or the everlasting flopstopper. Thinking of adding one to our cruising kit. There are some really great anchorages that would be a hell of a lot more pleasant if we could dampen the roll from the ground swell as we swing. Anyway just checking if one might be worth it. The magma is way cheaper but a bit smaller than the everlasting flopstopper.

Thanks again in advance
Will

Will-- We do not have the units you describe. However, we do have a home made flopper stopper, hopefully appearing in the attached snaps. We deploy it using our whisker pole as an out rigger, with a topping lift and fore and aft guys, and the device significantly reduces the yacht's tendency to roll making life far more comfortable. Note that the outrigger must be well marked, particularly with illumination at night, to prevent someone in a dinghy or small boat hitting the thing.

FWIW...

[Mainebristol]

I never thought of making a flopper stopper out of my bar-b-cue. Stainless, round, bowl-shaped. Sure!

[TacomaSailor]

They are quite effective in some circumstances.

We used ours many times while cruising in the Sea of Cortez where many of the anchorages are open roadsteads or otherwise exposed to a incoming swell. The diurnal wind of onshore from noon to dark and offshore from several hours after sunset to dawn meant that the boat was frequently lying abeam of the prevailing swell.

The flopper stopper hung off the end of a 20' spinnaker pole would reduce the roll by 50% or so. But, more importantly it would reduce the sharpness of the rolling. When the roll changed direction, as a swell would pass by, the boat would gently change direction with the flopper stopper out but would change direction with a sharp jerk with no flopper stopper.

Photo in La Cruz anchorage, Banderas Bay, near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We had been anchored there for several weeks and the boat had been moving in a circle around the anchor on a daily basis. A big, 6' or more, swell built up from the WSW which was moving us toward shore. When I tried to haul in the 200' of anchor chain in order to move to a more sheltered spot, I discovered the flopper stopper and the anchor float line were hopelessly tangled.

And we were slowly being pushed toward the shore break. Fortunately we had several experienced cruisers on board, for an afternoon Tequila Tasting Session, and we were able to sort out the problem and get the anchor up while Mirador got no closer than 200-yards from the big shore break.