Best GYBE Preventer ?

[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'm really a round the buoys racer and would like some advice please re a good and easy to use 'home made' or other Gybe Preventer for if/when we sail downwind at night along the coast of Holland. I have googled some and the Wichard Gyb Easy looks good, however only for mainsails up to 40 m2? The Xp38's main is 48 m2. I do like the idea of the Wichard, which allows the main to go through the gybe, but kind of controlled with the 'brake' on. Can anything like that be made, threading the rope through eg a couple of large stainless rings? Look forward to hearing your suggestions. By the way, the Xp will be making her way to New Zealand (on a Sevenstar Yacht Transport vessel) for a life of racing and family cruising.

[Tillsbury]

I think you’re asking about a boom brake, which is different from a preventer.

I have preventers partially rigged on my boat, which consists of a line secured at the end of the boom and running both sides of it terminating in splices near the gooseneck. They are clipped on to small bungy line to keep them tidy. When needed, I run preventer lines from the cockpit to the bow, through one of Seaworthy Lass’s bullseye strops attached to the forward cleat, and outside all the lifelines and shrouds back and attached to the boom line with a bowline. There’s one red and one green so I can rig both at the same time. Once the mainsail is set where I want it I can haul in the slack on the appropriate preventer from the cockpit. Release it before a gybe, then take up on the other one.

A boom brake, by contrast, allows the gybe but restrains it from going over too fast. Both are useful.

[expatria]

Hi Tillsbury, thank you for your reply and you are VERY right. it's the 'boom brake' I'm looking for. Can I still change the heading on my listing? And many thanks for your suggestion, which looks like a good system!!

[a64pilot]

Mine is a Dutchman
http://www.downwindmarine.com/Dutchm...-90890649.html
It came with the boat and was unused, I installed it after an accidental gybe illustrated rather violently that I need something, luckily no serious damage.
Takes a bit of stuff to install correctly, I initially ran it around my mid ship cleats but they chafed the line over time even though they are smooth polished SS. So you need blocks there.
To make it easy to use you also need two clutches to hold the lines so the winches are free for other tasks.

Now, I’m not a real experienced sailor, most that are seem to prefer preventers over brakes, perhaps due to the expense, but I already had one and in my not knowing better I like something that will be a controlled release as opposed to prevent, cause well and truly prevented I’m afraid I’d break something in very high winds. Due to my inexperience.
https://youtu.be/uSzqRqSgVA8

There are also some test on line and video tests of different brakes

[JPA Cate]

Hello, expatria,

Our way is different, again, we have preventers permanently rigged. Strop around boom, shackle, a line both port and starboard (for us, it's polyester double braid, 12 mm), through a block just at the base of the shrouds, which we then lead aft, and put on either the secondary winch, or the primary, depending on which is available. Gybing is always under control, but it's not a gadget. We also use the preventer to help with sail shape, so it is a multiple purpose set up. It is always rigged and ready to go without a trip forward.

It is not perfect, and we did break the boom on this boat once, although it was already cracked, we discovered when we got everything secured. Fwiw, on this boat, we've a little over 60,000 n. mi. Jim started using the double preventers on his 30 footer, and we've had them on the two boats we've had together.

Ann

[barnakiel]

A line tied to the boom, led forward and tied there (or led thru a block back to the cockpit.


A preventer prevents gybes, the other thingy you talk about slows down gybes (slows down the boom when gybing).


Cheers,
b.

[expatria]

Thank you so much for your varied suggestions. Yes, it's definitely a 'boom brake' I'm looking for thanks!! Had a quick look at the Jeanneau owners forum re the subject and quite a few people seem to use the Rescue-8 from the climbing world. It also does very much look like the Wichard gizmo. I wonder who had the design first? Have any of you used the Rescue-8 configuration and do you find that you have to use specific line, as per the Wichard suggestion?

[mlydon]

Take a look at Walter boom brakes.

I’m planning on getting one - I have a very heavy 24 foot boom that I would hate to accidentally gybe.

Matt

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[captstu]

I sailed a cat directly downwind from Capetown to Barbados with a Wichard boo brake. I have also used a Dutchman. both work well.

On the Capetown trip, we took frequent - more than one a day - gybes with no effect - the boat sailed, she gybed, and sailed some more - all on the auto pilot with no attention from helm.


While we might have made slightly better time if we sailed off the wind more and gybed oh command, we tried that for a few days and liked what we did better.

When we arrived in Barbados, a similar boat was limping in with a busted boom. they used a preventer - kind of a nuts action when short handed sailing for thousands of miles.

[sailcrazy]

We rigged a Ditchman Boom Brake for a few years, but found it less than satisfactory and seriously questioned its ability to stop/slow down a Gybe. Walking the docks at a Medd marina I found a much better solution. I made 2 Dynema lines, with a hook on one end, that attaches to each side of the boom bail and is held in place by a bungee at the gooseneck; it just rides there-out of the way-until needed. I installed a "U" bolt on each side just aft of the bow and next to the caprail, and attached a heavy block to each. Then I ran a line outside the safety stansions (one for each side) from the cockpit fwd thru the block and back to a hook snapped to a stansion base just aft of the boom. When I need to rig a boom preventor, go fwd, remove the dynema line from the gooseneck and clip the hook on it to the hook on the line(after unclipping it from the stansion base. As the boom swings out, tighten the line (near the cockpit) on a winch until the boom is in place, held back by the main sheet and fwd by the line thru that block near the boaw. The boom is held in place, and can't move until the winch is released. Stores easily, is out of the way, yet ready to go whenever needed. Works great!

[Matt Johnson]

We have both the Walder and Wichard boom brakes, and the adjustability of tension from the cockpit of the Walder makes it the clear winner for us. Light tension on the brake allows the boom to move for a controlled gybe, and heavy tension lock the booms position anywhere you want (while slightly vanging the boom).

Our is rigged with a small dinghy block and tackle set-up next to the cockpit combing. The line starts with a large stainless carabiner that clips to the starboard toerail around the chainplate position, it then leads to Walder Brake, down to a snatch block on the port side and back along the side deck to a 4:1 tackle by the cockpit. All items are easily unclipped and stored on the boom when in harbor. Heading off to sail, we clip it in position and pull the tackle to adjust tension from the cockpit. Works well.

Matt

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by expatria

Hi Tillsbury, thank you for your reply and you are VERY right. it's the 'boom brake' I'm looking for. Can I still change the heading on my listing? And many thanks for your suggestion, which looks like a good system!!

The Duchman System is good, had that on a previous boat.
Really you can just tie the Boom over to one side, using the sail track or a forward attachment.
When your ready to gybe, untie and gybe, retie to the other side. And go.
Cheers
SV Cloud Duster

[DEAN2140]

The Dutchman can also be used as a preventer if you give it sufficient tension. We had one on our Norseman 447 and it worked fine although after many miles the tension caused the goose neck to snap.

[a64pilot]

The Dutchman’s drag can be adjusted three ways, first the top two pulleys are fixed, they cannot rotate, but the bottom one can, and friction can be added by the big wing screw and it can be made to not rotate as well.
Then adding in tension to the lines of course increase the friction between the pulleys and the lines and finally going up or down a size of the line can further add or reduce friction, bigger line of course more friction.
I’m sure different types of lines are slipperier then others too, but I’ve not experimented with that. I’m currently using my old 7/16” Genoa furling line as the one I had got chafed on the mid ship cleats.

[captmikem]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

A line tied to the boom, led forward and tied there (or led thru a block back to the cockpit.


A preventer prevents gybes, the other thingy you talk about slows down gybes (slows down the boom when gybing).


Cheers,
b.

I keep a wire cable (life line wire) attached to the end of the boom and snap shackled to the gooseneck. When running I snap it to a NYLON line lead forward thru a hawspipe to a cleat. Simple easy to rig preventer. I use nylon because should you gybe, the nylon stretches a bit, absorbing the shock and does not damage the rig.
M