In my opinion boom brakes are more work and clutter than they are worth. I always tend the mainsheet when performing a gybe. By tend I mean center the traveler and pull in the sheet to center the boom. As the gybe occurs I quickly release the sheet. On multiple occasions I've seen main sails pop as a result of uncontrolled or "forced over" gybes.
Care is always required when going downwind but with an attentive helmsman a preventer can sometimes be avoided. Most boats are actually slower dead downwind so pick one side or the other. The most often time when a preventer is unavoidable is wing and wing. Josh Muckley S/V Sea Hawk 1989 C&C 37+ Solomons, MD On Sun, Mar 17, 2019, 11:08 AM David Knecht via CnC-List < cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > Thanks for all the info on preventers. I plan to use the advice to rig > one when spring finally arrives and use it on long downwind cruises. This > discussion also led me to look into boom brakes. I have always been > concerned about getting hit by the boom on a gybe, and being 6’ 3”, it is a > particular problem. I had never thought of a boom brake as a device for my > safety as opposed to the boat’s safety but realize now that this might be > well worth installing on both accounts. They seem to come in simple > inexpensive solutions (https://dreamgreen.org/boom-brake) to more > complicated and expensive devices (http://www.boom-brake-walder.com). In > all cases, I worry about another couple of lines to trip over when moving > on the side decks, thus trading one hazard for another. Thoughts? Dave > > S/V Aries > 1990 C&C 34+ > New London, CT > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each > and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - > use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > >
_______________________________________________ Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray
