Best GYBE Preventer ?

[Dave_S]

Not a boom brake but a preventer..... I saw a great idea, shamelessly stolen from the Seawind 1600.

If you have a spare reefing line roller at the end of your boom, run another line with a shackle of some type coming out the end of the boom. If not you could just run some guides and a block at the end of the boom.

You probably have attachment points on the deck of your boat or you can rig up to attach to. Run the bitter end through your system just like a reefing line. When you need the preventer, free the line, pull the shackle to the deck and attach, then run the bitter end just like any other line through a clutch to the winch. Nice and tidy.

[expatria]

Thank you again for all your great suggestions. It seems that most are happy with the Dutchman and the Wichard systems. Certainly has given me lots of food for thought. I'm leaning towards the Wichard system, but oh why do we need 'special' line to go with it? And the Rescue-8 is looking good also.

[RaymondR]

I run a 12 mm braided line from about half way down the boom, out to a friction fitting made from a thimble with a loop of nylon 3 strand fixed at the chain plate, across the coach roof in front of the mast to the second friction fitting on the opposite chain plate and beck to the boom. I shackle a halyard onto the line where it passes over the coachroof. In use I tighten up on the halyard and depending on the tension have either a preventer or a boom brake. The only down side is I have to step over the line when I go forward.

[Recy]

Anyone using this boom brake?

[HankOnthewater]

Here is a picture of the Wichard device (boom brake) as mentioned up-thread.
I have one, came with the boat, but never used it.
I usually tie the boom with a preventer, not unlike described in previous posts.

I can recall a similar thread a little while ago. Will do a search...... here are some links:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ke-213612.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...est-92129.html
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[cpisz]

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

[charliehows]

I welded some scrap stainless into a copy of the wichard, been using it for 6-7 years, works very well. Making it was the easy bit, I've spent quite a bit of time finding the right rope to use - mine works best with 8mm dyneema - its slippery characteristic and great strength make it the perfect match.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by charliehows

...I've spent quite a bit of time finding the right rope to use - mine works best with 8mm dyneema - its slippery characteristic and great strength make it the perfect match.

Thanks! You have no idea how many different variety of rope I've tried already with the either the Walder or Dutchman brake. It's a scary thing to jybe and not have the boom come over because of the line's friction in the brake until something finally breaks. At least I haven't broken the boom yet

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by gamayun

Thanks! You have no idea how many different variety of rope I've tried already with the either the Walder or Dutchman brake. It's a scary thing to jybe and not have the boom come over because of the line's friction in the brake until something finally breaks. At least I haven't broken the boom yet

On mine the line diameter is the important part, I'm using 9/16 double braid.

I still try to control the tube myself rather than relying on the boom brake ,reason being different conditions require a different amount of friction and I find it hard to get it right all the time.

I really only have the Dutchman for when I scew up....which I do.

[olianta]

I would avoid a gybe preventer on such a big mainsail. I used in the past Gyb Easy and I was not very much satisfied. I often miscalculated the forces and either went very fast or prevented the boom to gybe at all. Besides, the attachment point of the preventer is in the middle of the boom and if something goes wrong it is not impossible to result in breaking the boom at the attachment point. Currently I occasionally rig a preventer that leads from the end of the boom to a snatch block on the forward cleat and lead back to the aft winch on the same side for regulation. When gybing on the other tack I move the preventer on the opposite cleat and winch.
Rumen

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I still try to control the tube myself rather than relying on the boom brake ,reason being different conditions require a different amount of friction and I find it hard to get it right all the time.

I really only have the Dutchman for when I scew up....which I do.

What do you mean by this? I can control the lines, but it doesn't matter when there's too much friction, and the boom brake is ineffective by itself when there's too little friction. To me, the sole reason for a Dutchman system is for those times you screw up. How does one "get it just right" especially when there are different conditions and different forces acting on the boom? This has been truly baffling to me.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by gamayun

What do you mean by this? I can control the lines, but it doesn't matter when there's too much friction, and the boom brake is ineffective by itself when there's too little friction. To me, the sole reason for a Dutchman system is for those times you screw up. How does one "get it just right" especially when there are different conditions and different forces acting on the boom? This has been truly baffling to me.

I agree, it's very hard to get it right thus I don't use it when I want to deliberately gybe.

When I deliberately gybe I release the lines and friction screw and gybe as if it isnt there. But when under passage particularity in strong winds I have it set up with quite alot of tension thus acting as a preventer but still giving and slowing the accidental gybe down if it occurs. Originally the rope I used was to large and it took alot to gybe the sail .

All I'm saying is rope size matters alot BUT it's still not easy to match the friction via adjustments for all the varying conditions therefore I don't use it for intentional gybing.

On freeform I did the rope from the end of the boom to the bow and back, I think this preventer system is probably better and alot cheaper BUT I have the Dutchman, its works but not as advertised Imho therefore I keep it and use it.

I accidentally gybed in 40+ knots, I think it saved me, although the boom came across hard it still was alot less than it would of been without the boom brake.

[Leo Ticheli]

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

We have one on our Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40. I like it because it's simple, maintenance-free, the tension is adjustable, and it works. It's cheap, too.

I added a couple of blocks to stanchion bases to run the line back to the aft cleats.

Fair winds,
Leo

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by gamayun

What do you mean by this? I can control the lines, but it doesn't matter when there's too much friction, and the boom brake is ineffective by itself when there's too little friction. To me, the sole reason for a Dutchman system is for those times you screw up. How does one "get it just right" especially when there are different conditions and different forces acting on the boom? This has been truly baffling to me.

You get close by varying line diameter, then you dial it in by the friction adjustment of the third pulley on the brake. I ended up with the biggest line I could stuff through it.
I’m real inexperienced, I have never seen one used except mine and I’ve had no trouble at all.
Now remember your not trying to stop it from coming over, or I don’t anyway, just want it happening at a speed that won’t break anything.
What makes it easy to dial in is that the sail loses power as it comes over of course, so I think it about right when it comes about half way then stops.
With mine above 15 kts of wind has the friction full on, below full off, but I reef usually above 15 kts so leaving it off is fine for me.

What I don’t know and haven’t tried is what does being wet do to the coefficient of friction of the line?
I’m not too worried as even if it comes over quite quickly so long as it doesn’t break anything it should be OK.

My weak link is I believe the attachment point to my boom, if something is to break I think that will be it as I think it’s being fatigued over time being bent one way then the next over time, it’s not actually bending of course, but it’s being fatigued.

[charliehows]

[QUOTE=a64pilot;
Now remember your not trying to stop it from coming over, or I don’t anyway, just want it happening at a speed that won’t break anything.
What makes it easy to dial in is that the sail loses power as it comes over of course, so I think it about right when it comes about half way then stops.


quite right; it's a 'brake' - ie, it slows the movement of the boom, preventing the gybe from developing the destructive power an uncontrolled boom is capable of. I disagree with your bit about the sail losing power as it comes over ( but you may be describing a different type of brake...). Generally my wichard style boom brake will cause a bit of a problem with the boom starting to move but once it does, I would be very surprised if it stopped halfway or anywhere in the 2nd half of the movement - the power that develops in that part is awesome, and the brake needs to be pretty firm to offset it. I find it pretty easy to judge how many rungs to loop the rope over and when i have it right i regularly gybe without even bothering to haul in the sheet in order to ease the 2nd half letout; she just ambles over without any drama.