Flopper Stopper

[lockie]

On my previous cruise, I tried a prototype flopper-stopper, but with only partial success.

I could keep trying, but I wonder if anyone else with a 28 foot 3.5 ton long-keel boat has got the formula right? If you have, and you shared the dimensions/weight you used it would save me a heap of work, and I'd be very grateful to you!

Stern anchors and rolling-hitch bridles on the rode can help a lot, but I'm sure a flopper-stopper would help even more.

Cheers, Graeme

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by lockie

On my previous cruise, I tried a prototype flopper-stopper, but with only partial success.

I could keep trying, but I wonder if anyone else with a 28 foot 3.5 ton long-keel boat has got the formula right? If you have, and you shared the dimensions/weight you used it would save me a heap of work, and I'd be very grateful to you!

Stern anchors and rolling-hitch bridles on the rode can help a lot, but I'm sure a flopper-stopper would help even more.

Cheers, Graeme

I had to google this term 'flopper stopper' as I had absolutely no idea what that was. Now I see what it is, I used a Seabreak to calm the swell at night.

It's solas approved as a sea anchor and alternative steering system too.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by lockie

On my previous cruise, I tried a prototype flopper-stopper, but with only partial success.

I could keep trying, but I wonder if anyone else with a 28 foot 3.5 ton long-keel boat has got the formula right? If you have, and you shared the dimensions/weight you used it would save me a heap of work, and I'd be very grateful to you!

Stern anchors and rolling-hitch bridles on the rode can help a lot, but I'm sure a flopper-stopper would help even more.

Cheers, Graeme

Graeme--

Attached (I Hope!) are snaps of the front and back (top and bottom?) of our home cooked Flopper Stopper. Essentially nothing more than steel rods rivited together with a piece of heavy dodger plastic cut in an X-shape between the corners that rest on the lower grid when the Stopper is pulled upward through the water column. We made this up for our earlier boat, a 29' fin keel racer/cruiser. On that boat it was rigged outboard through a snatch block on the end of a 12' spinnaker pole that was supported with a topping lift, and fore'n after guys. We also use it on our current 42' boat in the same manner albeit on a much longer pole. It works very well. Note that it is wise to mark the outboard end of the pole with a light at night so some unsuspecting passer by doesn't run into the thing.

FWIW...

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

I had to google this term 'flopper stopper' as I had absolutely no idea what that was. Now I see what it is, I used a Seabreak to calm the swell at night.

It's solas approved as a sea anchor and alternative steering system too.

Thanks!! I never thought to use a drogue/sea anchor as a flopper stopper.

I can see how that would work just as well, and I already have one on board.

Would it help to add a weight to keep the apex of the cone pointing down?

[exMaggieDrum]

There was another thread this year on flopper stoppers. You might get some good info on that if you search for it.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Thanks!! I never thought to use a drogue/sea anchor as a flopper stopper.

I can see how that would work just as well, and I already have one on board.

Would it help to add a weight to keep the apex of the cone pointing down?

I don't know how it does it, but if you float it about two meters under the surface it stays downward anyway. At least it has the 2 or 3 times ive used it for this purpose. I put it down off the end of the boom. It has written instructions on how to set it up as a stabalizer at anchor.

[barnakiel]

I have seen some made out of old beer crates and plywood. They were loaded with come chain at the bottom side.

One gets hoisted on the boom the other on the spinnaker pole.

Prawners (or are they shrimpers) in Oz seem to use them too, while waiting out the blow behind the reef.

b.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I have seen some made out of old beer crates and plywood. They were loaded with come chain at the bottom side.

One gets hoisted on the boom the other on the spinnaker pole.

Prawners (or are they shrimpers) in Oz seem to use them too, while waiting out the blow behind the reef.

b.

We call them prawns, though thanks to a Paul Hogan attempt for an American advertisment of our great Island, and the influence of television, im starting to hear younger folk call them shrimp

On our prawner boats, those big plates on either side i think are called ploughs, they make the mouth of the nets open up wide. And your right they do lower them into the water when it gets rough, partially because it helps calm the roll, but also because of their size and weight they are too big to have swinging around in bad weather at anchor. Down my way we only have scollopers so im not that familiar with the prawners.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

We call them prawns, though thanks to a Paul Hogan attempt for an American advertisment of our great Island, and the influence of television, im starting to hear younger folk call them shrimp

On our prawner boats, those big plates on either side i think are called ploughs, they make the mouth of the nets open up wide. And your right they do lower them into the water when it gets rough, partially because it helps calm the roll, but also because of their size and weight they are too big to have swinging around in bad weather at anchor. Down my way we only have scollopers so im not that familiar with the prawners.

You are so lucky to be living there down under. We only spent a short half a year sailing round the top end. But I do hope next time to sail from Cape Town to Perth and then onwards and visit Tasmania before sailing onwards to the East Coast (again).

Thanks for the explanation, and for the inspiration!
b.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by lockie

On my previous cruise, I tried a prototype flopper-stopper, but with only partial success.

I could keep trying, but I wonder if anyone else with a 28 foot 3.5 ton long-keel boat has got the formula right? If you have, and you shared the dimensions/weight you used it would save me a heap of work, and I'd be very grateful to you!

Stern anchors and rolling-hitch bridles on the rode can help a lot, but I'm sure a flopper-stopper would help even more.

Cheers, Graeme

Hmmm, 28' and 3.5 tons, long keel, sounds a lot like my boat. I have no stock in the company, but I have always used rocker-stoppers and they work ok for me. They recommend using nylon line but I prefer dacron so it won't stretch and absorb the load because that just lets it roll. I prefer not to use the boom for mine because I didn't like the idea of the halyard taking the load off to the side and have the possibility of chafing so I got an aluminum pole that I attached fittings for and I bowline a line around the mast and use the halyard to hoist it to just below the spreaders and that line goes to the outrigger. Also, they only "stack well" if you take the line out to store them, but that is completely impractical and the knots are jammed pretty tight anyway. At $20 each they aren't cheap considering you'll probably want 6-8 of them plus the heavy weights to hold them. I usually just go with 4 off one side and that is fine under most circumstances. With 3 or 4 off both sides, it is very stable. And yes, I also use a stern anchor to keep her facing whatever the predominant swell is. And yes there are a couple of threads on flopper stoppers out there you should check too.

[autumnbreeze27]

We use magma flopper stoppers we got at minneys (used). Whatever u use the key is to get it as far away from the hull as possible. We run one from the main boom and one from the spin pole. We only use the main boom unless it's really bad. Just a few days ago we anchored and went to bed and woke up when the swell came up and rolled us right on the beam. U know it's a good role when your water bottle flies off and Hit's unit the head. So after u figure yours out rig it before u hit the rack or U will likely be up at 1am rigging it


Sent from somewhere in the Pacific

[Don C L]

oops, forgot to post the photo of rocker-stoppers:

[lockie]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Graeme--

Attached (I Hope!) are snaps of the front and back (top and bottom?) of our home cooked Flopper Stopper. Essentially nothing more than steel rods rivited together with a piece of heavy dodger plastic cut in an X-shape between the corners that rest on the lower grid when the Stopper is pulled upward through the water column.
FWIW...

Looks interesting - mind telling me dimensions and weights?