Rigging Preventer

[smurphny]

Am thinking about making the preventer setup on my boat a bit more convenient so that it can be controlled from the cockpit. Now have a single fixed line from the bow that I need to get forward , disconnect and then reconnect to swap sides when jibing (really tough to accomplish single-handed when you need to stay at the wheel with boat sliding down waves in a following sea). Any experience out there as far as best way to rig up a double line config.: Type blocks you used up forward, line type, strength, etc? I always worry about appropriate line strength. It probably should break as a safety valve if the boom should somehow meet the water so as not to take the entire rig down. Have thought about the commercial anti-unintentional jibe gadgets but have always liked the solid nature of an actual line. Thanks.

[mike d.]

I didn't know you had such big water in the Adirondacks!? anyway if you can get a hold of Donald Streets book the ocean sailing yacht he explains the set up your talking about in detail!

[hpeer]

I have seen a couple of rigs in articles.


I have a pipe gallows over the cockpit and my wheel is pushed forward in the cockpit so this set up is possible.

I got a couple of boom vangs, 1 in 4. One end goes on the toe rail on either side. the other end attaches to a hoop on the boom. The hoop is just forward of the gallows. I can reach forward and adjust the tension on the vang. When the boom is way out I can use the vang as a down haul. When the main is furled I let let the vangs go to clear the deck. It works pretty well and lets me position the boom where ever I want it. Makes sailing and gybing easy.

On other boats I have seen the leads run down the side decks to a turning block behind the cockpit with a jammer handy to the wheel/tiller.

Some will complain that having the the attachment mid boom makes the boom vulnerable should you dip it. I does not seem to be a problem for me.

Here is a pic of the boat, it might help to see what I am talking about.
http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...9_072455AA.jpg

EDIT:

OK, I found a long discussion on this topic here. Some like it, some hate it. The DOUBLE preventer/vang works for me.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-m...preventer.html

[smurphny]

The waves are really high in the Adirondacks this year...Waves of SNOW! Reading through Atlantic Crossings gave me the idea about the double line preventer. Just wondering if anyone has tried this and how it has worked for single-handing. As in one of the threads on sailnet, I have the boom rigged with a full length line so that there is no stress point mid-boom. Have a loop at the point where it can be reached to reattach preventer line after jibing, This requires going forward. With two lines, stbd and port, lead forward to a double block and then back to the cockpit, it would allow me to uncleat it, controlled jibe, reattach the other side all from cockpit. Seems like a lot of gear but this is a critical operation.

Case in point: Last year, was rounding Sandy Hook, NJ, in the channel, heading south down the coast when a large, discourteous and oblivious power boat stormed past me full throttle leaving a great wake. This caused an unintentional jibe and subsequent hoisting of the middle finger in salute and quite a few shouted expletives, probably unheard by the stinkpot. Lesson learned: Have a preventer attached at ALL times, even in a calm channel with a 15 knot offshore wind because you never know when an a#$h&le will strike. Being in a channel, had to stay at the wheel and it was impossible to previously get forward to attach a preventer. Having the lines at hand would solve this type problem as well as the situation of having to go forward when the boat is tossing around.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by hpeer

I have seen a couple of rigs in articles.


I have a pipe gallows over the cockpit and my wheel is pushed forward in the cockpit so this set up is possible.

I got a couple of boom vangs, 1 in 4. One end goes on the toe rail on either side. the other end attaches to a hoop on the boom. The hoop is just forward of the gallows. I can reach forward and adjust the tension on the vang. When the boom is way out I can use the vang as a down haul. When the main is furled I let let the vangs go to clear the deck. It works pretty well and lets me position the boom where ever I want it. Makes sailing and gybing easy.

On other boats I have seen the leads run down the side decks to a turning block behind the cockpit with a jammer handy to the wheel/tiller.

Some will complain that having the the attachment mid boom makes the boom vulnerable should you dip it. I does not seem to be a problem for me.

Here is a pic of the boat, it might help to see what I am talking about.
On the hard picture by hpeer - Photobucket

EDIT:

OK, I found a long discussion on this topic here. Some like it, some hate it. The DOUBLE preventer/vang works for me.

vang and preventer - SailNet Community

I would say never, ever, ever rig a preventer in the middle of your boom. It's a great way to break a boom, as happens with alarming frequency in the ARC, and always, as far as I know, in connection with mid-boom rigged preventers.

I don't think there is any good way to gybe a properly-rigged preventer from the cockpit. We run ours from the end (!) of our boom to a midships cleat. Since the cleats are smooth, polished stainless steel, they work ok as a turning block. The preventer is lead aft from there to a secondary winch. It is simple to adjust it when sheeting the boom in or out. When we gybe, we simply release it and carry it around to the cleat on the other side -- it only takes a minute and in heavy weather we just clip on to a jackstay for safety. The side decks are not scary in heavy weather, like the foredeck is.

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I would say never, ever, ever rig a preventer in the middle of your boom. It's a great way to break a boom, as happens with alarming frequency in the ARC, and always, as far as I know, in connection with mid-boom rigged preventers.

I don't think there is any good way to gybe a properly-rigged preventer from the cockpit. We run ours from the end (!) of our boom to a midships cleat. Since the cleats are smooth, polished stainless steel, they work ok as a turning block. The preventer is lead aft from there to a secondary winch. It is simple to adjust it when sheeting the boom in or out. When we gybe, we simply release it and carry it around to the cleat on the other side -- it only takes a minute and in heavy weather we just clip on to a jackstay for safety. The side decks are not scary in heavy weather, like the foredeck is.

Use exactly the same method on my boat