Boom Brake?

[DAVEWVU86]

Hey, saw this on the beneteau site...thought it was interesting. I've limited sailing experience on my Mac and have yet to encounter a scary jibe but I've definately seen my fair share on larger boats. I doubt I'd get one but I thought some of you might be interested:

http://shop.beneteauowners.net/detail.h ... &group=863

[Paul S]

we have it. Single best safety thing I installed. Works, as we say here in Boston, pi$$



Easy to install, well made works great..

You get it set right.. you can either lock the boom, or have it set so it will automatically (slowly) jibe

Makes sailing wing on wing a bit more enjoyable..not worring about losing your head.

[ALX357]

where do the 2 side lines attach ? on the deck ?

[Frank C]

Looking at Paul's enlarged photo, you'll see they attach to the forward stanchion, at ~3 inches high.

To avoid any undue leverage on the stanchion, I think I'd rather see them connected to a padeye on the deck. However, since it prevents giant shock loads, I suppose the stanchion's better able to handle the loads, anyway.

If I found a padeye with the same bolt spacing as those stanchion bases, I think I'd add 'em right on top of the bases. Since we don't have a toerail, seems there's always that need to tie-off stuff at a stanchion ...

[Paul S]

yes it is not ideal..but it works so far. no evidence of any problem

[kmclemore]

Superb addition, Paul! Coincidentally, I've just been teaching my two boys how to perform a controlled jibe on my smaller boat!

[bastonjock]

Hi kevin

can you expand on a "controlled gybe",its been one of the things causing me concern,gybing that is,do you pull the mainsheet in and let it out under control?

ive only gybed in a dingy and that was a full sail movent in one move

[ALX357]

Although the term "jibe" carries the image of a boom swinging violently across, it really is the term for changing tacks while the wind behind you. You can jibe slowly by hauling in the boom and letting it out easy, or in a near calm, by moving it across by hand. You can jibe without using the mainsail and boom at all, with just the foresail.
Even going upwind, sometimes with just the Genoa, I find it expedient to change tacks by jibing about instead of heading into the wind. This move will lose a bit of headway as you turn away from the wind, make a small circle and jibe off into the other tack, but it avoids getting 'into irons" where upon coming about, the boat can stall nose into the wind, fail to cross the wind at all, or have its nose pushed around too far, and lose even more headway than by jibing.

[Catigale]

If you use 'tyres' as fenders, a 'jibe' is called a 'gybe' btw.

[ALX357]

gybe ....

colour, honour, valour, humour

bonnet, hood

and
"rather you don't come by and knock me up too early, just give me a tinkle."

[kmclemore]

Hi kevin

can you expand on a "controlled gybe",its been one of the things causing me concern,gybing that is,do you pull the mainsheet in and let it out under control?

ive only gybed in a dingy and that was a full sail movent in one move

A controlled jibe (gybe) is when you carefully control the position of the sails and boom as you turn the boat whilst pointing away from the wind (down wind). As ALX357 noted, drawing in the boom (via the mainsheet) as you make your turn, and then paying it out as you complete the turn is the best way to control the jibe. To complete the turn you allow the jib sail to slip across to the other side -- unless you wish to run wing-on-wing in which case you leave the jib on the opposite side to the main. I usually avoid wing-on-wing, however, since that position offers the greatest risk of an accidential [uncontrolled] jibe, i.e. when the wind gets behind the main, causing the boom to come slamming across the cockpit, and often taking a few crew members with it!

[bastonjock]

ive had the boom hit me on the head with a dingy and that was bad enough.

[NiceAft]

Frank noted

you'll see they attach to the forward stanchion, at ~3 inches high.

From examining the picture, they attach at the same place where the mast raising system attaches. I am not familiar with the X, but there is a welded loop there on the M's forward stanchions.

I never had any problems on Nice Aft with a traversing boom, but once my Phantom sailboat was knocked over when a swinging boom hit a friend on the shoulder. He was not hurt, but he did not move either! Something had to give, and it was all of us. That 14'6", 100lb boat just turned over. We all got dunked

Ray

[Rob Robinson]

Thanks for the post on this. I just ordered it. What made the difference for me was the notion that if you did happen to breach that the boom would still be let out and supposedly help with righting the boat versus a preventer which would have to be manually operated during an otherwise difficult time.

[ALX357]

On that Beneteau site where the Dutchman Boom Brake is offered, they list two different Brakes, one for boats with a rigid vang, and another more expensive one for soft vanged boats.
I have a block-and-tackle vang, I assume called "soft", but also now the Aussie BoomKicker. Is this setup considered a rigid vang for ordering purposes, ? if anyone knows.