The Mysterious Rocker Stopper

[jordiebsocal]

Does anyone have any solid experience of these things and their functionality? I have a set of 2 and am debating on them going the way of Craigslist, or keeping them around!

Merci!

[bobconnie]

I have seen these used, but they were used off the booms of the main and mizzen on the port and starboard sides of the boat. The folks that used them said they sorta worked, at least they rolled around a little less then we did ! it was rolly enough for us to leave after 4 or 5 hours , to look for better anchor grounds. That's all I know about them. I have used paravanes on power boats and they work ok, but never tried them on a sailboat, Yet LOL

[Rubikoop]

I have 2 sets of six or eight, can't recall. I used them a couple of times on my previous 31' mono. They did help a lot. I'm not sure the effort to set them up, deploy and retrieve is less effort than tossing out a stern anchor to swing the bow into the swell. I kept them but never bothered to move them over to my current boat. They were laying next to a dumpster so I didn't pay for them. I would try them on your boat before deciding to sell them.

[rebel heart]

Take your boat to a rolly anchorage and give them a shot. Different boats have different roll periods. We had a home built one that was quite nice but I've found that a stern anchor works just as well, I carry a spare anchor anyway, and I never liked the amount of load that a big flopper stopper placed on the boom.

[SVNeko]

Get a cat.

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by SVNeko

Get a cat.

Do you only need to tie one on and throw it over? :-)

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by SVNeko

Get a cat.

I did, but it just barfed up hairballs when the boat rolled.

Fabbian

[rcmpegasus]

I have a set of flipper stoppers, looks like a big stainless steel tray of louvers. One off spinnaker pole and one off the main and we are like a rock. No roll at all. I love mine, very quick and easy to deploy.

[DeepFrz]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ers-39256.html

Here is a thread I started a while ago. Cruising power boaters use them and I think they would work very well on a sailboat.

Edit: By the way, the farther out you can get them the better they work. I would suggest if you hang one off your boom that you also light the end of the boom.

The people on the forum where I got the idea liked them very much.

[SVNeko]

Originally Posted by Rubikoop

Do you only need to tie one on and throw it over? :-)

Sure, tie one on. It can't hurt.

[rcmpegasus]

This is the type I am using on a heavy 56 ft ketch.


http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...P0657-flop.jpg

[Hoohaa]

Originally Posted by SVNeko

Get a cat.

Been tried, doesn't work..

[senormechanico]

Those orange things are hardly better than nothing.
The others recommended above are infinitely better.
Steve

[Cheechako]

by the time I need the flopper stoppers I'm outta there!

[Pilgrim1]

I have used them on an 18ft fishing boat & they SIGNIFICANTLY cut down the rolling at anchor. Unfortunately with the fast tide run in the Bristol Channel I had to double the bottom weight from 10lb to 20lb to keep them vertical! Plus the tide run working on their surface area made the anchor trip. This can be overcome by fitting a bigger anchor or different model anchor, so they do cut down on the rocking, but if you have a fast tide run you will have to adapt to get the best out of them.