Permanently installed preventer- Another view
by Sail-World Cruising/Brian and Jill Golland on 9 Aug 2010
aa1 View of Yacht Sinabada SW
Sail-World received an extraordinary quantity of mail after a recent article about permanently installed preventers**, so it is obviously a subject of great interest to many sailors. Some liked the system, some suggested refinements, others commented 'What about the boom-brake - Why reinvent?' At Sail-World we are a news outlet rather than a forum, but we here offer a system that works for a couple of our readers, Brian and Jill Golland, who sail a yacht called Sinabada (see end of story).
**To see the story, search (top right hand corner of screen) 'permanently installed preventer'.
We have a 37' Whiting Cruiser/Racer and have a boom brake installed and self made (very little cost), which is better than that presented in your article.
All that is needed is a climbing '8' ring attached under the boom around half way along and a sheet terminated at the chain plate on the port side up through the figure eight shackle and down through a block on the starboard chain plate and along the deck to a stopper or block beside the helmsperson.
With this method you always have pressure on the boom and depending on the situation either ease it or tighten to slow the movement of the boom even in races it assists the person on the mainsheet.
The sheet to use should be braided sheet and not a spectra covered core as the friction thru the fitting will tear the covering or crimp as it passes thru it!
Compared with a commercial design of A$380 (US$350)(includes sheet but no blocks), ours cost A$13(US$12) plus sheet.
The pictures below should tell most of the story: Basically we are using the 'figure of eight' mountain climbing fitting (aa4 & aa5) by running the sheet from the chain plate (port) thru the Fitting (aa5) which is attached directly under the boom vang connection, then to the chain plate to (starboard)(as in aa3) before returning the sheet along the deck to a block at the helmsperson (aa6 & aa7).
Note on the author: Brian and Jill Golland are two migratory sailors who spend time between Victoria and Tasmania. They sail with the Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club, Queenscliff Lonsdale Yacht Club in Victoria, and with Bellerive Yacht Club in Hobart, Tasmania. Sinabada, incidentally, means 'Great White Chief' in the Motu language of Papua Nuigina, where Brian has lived.
If you want to link to this article then please use this URL: www.sail-world.com/73088
