Best GYBE Preventer ?

[Capt. Don]

Lots of information here:
https://dreamgreen.org/boom-brake

Well over 1000 of them in use.
A slightly bigger version will be released in about a month. Will use 14mm diameter 316L stainless steel. This is only to increase the friction generated on the line for use on larger sails. The standard version is already being used on boats in the 40 ft range.

Originally Posted by cpisz

Had anyone tried this one. Seems simple and inexpensive ($55). The amount of breaking can be adjusted by how it is rigged.Attachment 195385

[Dehler 25]

Where Hunter used B & R rigs exclusively there is always a lesser limit to letting the sail out downwind with no backstay. The spreaders and lowers are aft of the mast so accidental gybing is even more of a risk and I prefer something that provides parceled give rather than stop. As you point out a failure at max load would not be pretty. I typically avoid sailing to within 10=15 degrees of straight downwind for that reason.

[sailorladd]

I have sailed many thousands of miles on my 31 foot home built sailboat and tried various anti gybe ideas, and finally found the most effective and simple way was to attach a good line from the main boom's mainsheet block take off point ( where the main block is shackled to the boom) and lead the line forward to your samson post or mooring cleat in front, take up most of the slack and be rest assured it will be just fine ...

[Bill_Giles]

Clever manufacturers seem to invent new gibe preventers daily and sell them for ever increasing prices. We have a very simple device which is very cheap (£8 from Amazon). It is a figure 8 belay device (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_8_(belay_device)). One end is shackled to the boom and the other, large, end is threaded with the preventer line. One end of the line is fixed to the deck on one side of the boat, is led through the belay device as shown in the link and then runs through a block on the other side where it is led back to the cockpit. With no tension in the line the boom is free to move, adding tension adds friction. Sufficient friction stops the boom moving until when gybing when a little tension allows the boom to move slowly across.

[njwilliams449]

If using a preventer, leading it to the bow, rather than securing it amidships, reduces the loads dramatically. The NZ Maritime report, The Platino Accident, published in 2018 and available online, has sobering calculations of the respective loads (as well as a lot of other useful reading).

[sailorboy1]

So for boom brakes (NOT preventers)

I would like to read actural experiences during a crash/accidental gybe with a wind of 30 knot or more (a squall catching you from behind or just an oops)

- what type of brake are you using
- what size is your boat
- how did it work (it either allowed the gybe to happen but prevented the SLAM by slowly it down, or it didn't work in my mind)
- did you rig it some special way
- does your system need operator action prior to the gybe for it to work

thanks

[wingssail]

I wouldn't spend much cash on a boom brake for this one passage. Once you get it into NZ you won't be using it in racing or day sailing with the family. Who needs additional clutter around the boom and cabin top?

So keep it dead simple: Run a line, say 3/8 polyester, 8-9mm, from the end of the boom to the gooseneck, leave it hanging coiled there. (Wow, with your E dimension, say 40' long.)

When you are running downwind take the end of this line around a cleat or forward stanchion base and back to a winch. (it needs to be on a winch so you can ease it to allow the boom to come across when you want to). When you are going to jibe you cast it off the winch and after the jibe you lead it to the opposite rail.

If you are just trying to stabilize the boom on a reach run the line around a cleat or stanchion base farther aft to get a good angle.

Apparently this yacht does not come equipped with running backstays, otherwise you can leave the windward runner loosely wrapped on the windward side and this acts as a "brake" when the main comes across, (yeah, that sounds funky, but it works well).

You'll have fun with this yacht in NZ.

[windekind]

Originally Posted by expatria

End August we'll be sailing my new Xp38 from the X-Yacht yard in Vaderslev, south Denmark to Middelharnis in Zeeland, Holland.

I hope you have a safe and easy trip to Middelharnis , IT'S ! ! South Holland ,the Netherlands , i am living in Middelharnis just 400 meters from Van Vliet Sails and Offerhouse ,so you sailing to Stellendam over Haringvliet .

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

So for boom brakes (NOT preventers)

I would like to read actural experiences during a crash/accidental gybe with a wind of 30 knot or more (a squall catching you from behind or just an oops)

- what type of brake are you using
- what size is your boat
- how did it work (it either allowed the gybe to happen but prevented the SLAM by slowly it down, or it didn't work in my mind)
- did you rig it some special way
- does your system need operator action prior to the gybe for it to work

thanks

OK, you want a story (sorry, the boom brake is manual).

Midnight, motoring northward off the coast of Costa Rica. No wind or waves.

Mainsail still up from earlier. I’m on watch. Autopilot is steering.

Wind comes up from astern.

Oh, this is nice. I turn off the motor and let out the mainsheet. Now we’re sailing nicely, still on autopilot.

Wind builds, up to 26 true. Boat is going 7+ but auto can’t hold it. Auto clicks off a couple of times.

I say, “Hell, I can do better than that.” And I hit standby and jump in the helm, yanking the boat back on course.

But we were already by the lee, and the wind had built further. The boat gybes.

Now, in 30 knots, the main is totally backwinded and held in place by the preventer, (there is no boom brake) the boat is on its side, about 70 degrees, and I am sitting there with the tiller up to my chin and I can’t reach the preventer.

Judy sticks her head up and says, “What’s going on?”

I say, “We gybed and I’m trying to gybe back! Meanwhile, look at the main!”

The mainsail was starting to tear straight up from the middle of the foot.

I see by looking at the water in the light of the stern light that we are not going anywhere, not moving, and still laid down, and the main is ripping madly.

Judy arrives in the cockpit and lets off the preventer and the main, what’s left of it, comes over, the boat stands up, I’ve started the engine and put it into forward, and now we have headway and steerage and I put the boat back on a course downwind.

The clean up takes an hour, the mainsail shredded itself all over the rig, it looks like a laundry line up there. We knew that main was on it’s last legs, and now it’s a gonner.

The lesson I learned, for the umpteenth time, don’t sail downwind on the autopilot.

At Playas de Cocos we bent on the racing main.

If that's not a case for a boom brake, I don't know what is, but I still don't have one.

[sailorboy1]

nice story

maybe a brake would have prevented that

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

nice story

maybe a brake would have prevented that

Maybe, but he did say the main was on its last legs, so maybe not?
Why would backwinding a sail rip it?

[Wollamai]

I have a Moody41AC and when I enquired of Wichard about their boom brake I was informed that it should not be used on any mainsail in excess of 40 sq m. The Moody main is
46 sq m. I installed a Hutton Boom Brake made in Australia.
HUTTON-ARCO Yacht Winches
I am very happy with it. I can control the tension from the cockpit and in light and medium winds it controls my gybe beautifully. In stronger winds it can act as a preventer but also can be used to control the gybe although the correct tension to apply is a learning process.

[charliehows]

I've had one accidental gybe with this current brake in place, just offshore heading in to harbour, wind was fresh but not 30kn. the gybe was slow, steady and the landing was a bit firmer than i would have liked. Above 30kn. i'd have the brake on full setting but i wouldnt relax to the point of taking an unplanned gybe.
Prior to fitting the brake i had a nasty crash gybe which did what it was planned to do; broke the 3 strand rope holding the traveller, distributing the load so no other damage was caused. Needless to say, in spite of the boombrake, I still have a sacrificial 3 strand rope holding the traveller.