Can flopper stoppers damage your rigging?

[Muaddib1116]

I've searched and read a bunch of flopper stopper threads, but they all focus on if they work and don't answer this concern of mine. If you rig one or two flopper stoppers on spinnaker poles with topping lifts or halyards, can this exert enough force to damage your rigging, the pole, or the mast?

I'm guessing that if the swell is so bad that your rigging is at risk, then you will have likely moved to a different anchorage already, but I have no experience with these.

[Lazerbrains]

No, they break before damaging your rigging.

[SVHarmonie]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

I'm guessing that if the swell is so bad that your rigging is at risk, then you will have likely moved to a different anchorage already, but I have no experience with these.

Like you said! The load actually isn’t that high. Honestly, we have them, and they work great, but we’ll usually move rather than rig them. It’s usually just easier.

[Tillsbury]

If the load on that will break your rigging, then the load of a serious gust on your sails will be way too much for it. Just need to make sure you’re loading things with a fair lead — make sure you’re not getting chafe on halyards because of their angle or interfering with standing rigging.

[contrail]

Back when I cruised a monohull, with 10 foot beam, I discovered, to my surprise, that flopper stoppers worked pretty well just hanging them from the toerail! No boom, no pole and very little roll. Also really easy to rig, of course. I often wonder whether, if folks just did that, they would use them so often so as to make up for the fact that they aren't quite as effective as when set up by the book.

[Lazerbrains]

Contrail is right - they work fine just from the toerail.

[BBViper]

Only if your wife finds them in your glovebox and their not hers.

[Don C L]

I use them all the time. No I don't think they will damage standing rigging or mast or spinnaker pole, but I wouldn't use the fitting on the mast for the pole for it. Perhaps if the edge of the sheave at the mast head is sharp it might cause chafing if you use your main halyard and the boom off the beam. Don't let the pole or boom hit the lower shrouds of course. For myself I decided long ago not to use the boom since there may be a chafe issue and it does put some strain on the gooseneck at the extreme angle. I use a pole dedicated for it and I use the main halyard to hoist a line that is tied to the mast with a bowline so the halyard is still being pulled straight down. That line then is the lift for the pole, then I also have fore and aft guys. Works great. But it does take longer to rig and pack up than just using the boom of course. The increased leverage of using the pole vs. hanging it off the rail helps a lot for my boat.

[MikeHedge]

Great answer, BBViper! Always can use a little levity!

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

I've searched and read a bunch of flopper stopper threads, but they all focus on if they work and don't answer this concern of mine. If you rig one or two flopper stoppers on spinnaker poles with topping lifts or halyards, can this exert enough force to damage your rigging, the pole, or the mast?

I'm guessing that if the swell is so bad that your rigging is at risk, then you will have likely moved to a different anchorage already, but I have no experience with these.

We shredded a topping lift with our rocker stopper. But I should have inspected it daily. I think I had it rigged for several days before I noticed the damage. There should be no issues concerning standing rigging or spinnaker poles.

[Goodall_M1]

Can someone please explain what a "flopper stopper" is?

I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who has never encountered the term before.

[Pete17C]

Originally Posted by Goodall_M1

Can someone please explain what a "flopper stopper" is?

I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who has never encountered the term before.

link

[Kanook]

Pete17c

[Jack C]

Flopper stoppers are devices hung of the end of mast or horizontal pole, or from the toe rail. They create one way drag and act as a shock absorber to damp the boats rolling. They are designed to sink easily but resist being pulled up. They look like curved plates hung one below another on a line with a weight on the end. I saw a DIY design that used a milk crate with a grate bottom and solid sides. It had a stiff cloth bottom attached on only one side. Water entered the crate on the down stroke. On the up stroke there was resistance due to the crate being full of water. Hope this helps.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Goodall_M1

Can someone please explain what a "flopper stopper" is?

I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who has never encountered the term before.

There are a few different designs on the market (rocker stopper, flopper stopper, flopstopper etc.) but it is any device you hang off the boat to provide resistance to the boat's desire to roll side to side. Fishing boats often hang weighted triangular blades off booms off the beam for this, sailboats often have devices with slats that open up as it sinks and then close as it starts to rise. In the old days we made them out of milk crates too.