How has everyone with a molded rub rail handled a preventer for downwind safety. Do you just try sailing off the wind?
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Try the cleat
I use the midship cleat to fasten the preventer. It has worked for me on a 380 and a 280.
I use the midship cleat to fasten the preventer. It has worked for me on a 380 and a 280.
Preventer
On the H260 an ideal place to attach the preventer are the chainplates. That way there is no need to go forward. I have a permantly installed preventer for each side.
On the H260 an ideal place to attach the preventer are the chainplates. That way there is no need to go forward. I have a permantly installed preventer for each side.
Kevin, you have two conceptual choices...
...as I understand it. One is to use what John Rousinaire likes to call a Preventer Vang, essentially a multi-block tackle that is secured to the boom and leads both down and forward a bit to a hard point (bail on genoa track, midship cleat, or dedicated bail if you have nothing else) that is outboard on the deck, usually midships. The advantages of this are that you get both the benefits of a vang and a preventer, and one system does both jobs. The criticisms of this approach are that there is not enough stretch available in the tackle should the sail be badly backwinded, a criticism IMO more justified in offshore sailing than in more protected waters, and that it takes you on deck - and surrendering the protection of the preventer - prior to gybing. Also, one common problem with this approach is that the tackle may have a bottom block with integral cam cleat, and so one must go on deck even when simply wanting to ease the main or change the point of sail. It also fails to provide a way to control the gybe using a preventer. The second option is a conventional preventer, which is usually led from the boom end, forward to the front part of the boat, hopefully thru a block, and then terminated back in the cockpit. Depending on the geometry of the boat, whether one has mid-boom sheeting, and where you lead the preventer, this can require two preventers if you want to stay in the cockpit. The advantage of this option is that the longer line (nylon, counterintuitive for running rigging) can absorb a lot of shock. However, in both cases one needs to make sure the attachment point on the boom is unquestioned. E.g. I popped the end cap off my main boom and thru-bolted my two bails). There are a wide array of gybe preventors but in truth they are more about controlling a gybe than preventing one, and they can be quite elaborate (also expensive) to set up on the boat; more in the nature of offshore gear. Personally, I've been dissatisfied with my 'preventer vang' arrangement because of the disadvantages I've mentioned...but I would hate to be without its vanging effect. So I'm moving to two end-boom preventers that are led forward to the chain plate area midships, thru snatch blocks and back to cleats on the coaming. I will lose the power of using a tackle when in good winds and wanting to pull down the boom, so I will slack the mainsheet, position the preventer, and then use the mainsheet winch to shape the main. We'll have to see what we think of this arrangement when the season begins... Jack
...as I understand it. One is to use what John Rousinaire likes to call a Preventer Vang, essentially a multi-block tackle that is secured to the boom and leads both down and forward a bit to a hard point (bail on genoa track, midship cleat, or dedicated bail if you have nothing else) that is outboard on the deck, usually midships. The advantages of this are that you get both the benefits of a vang and a preventer, and one system does both jobs. The criticisms of this approach are that there is not enough stretch available in the tackle should the sail be badly backwinded, a criticism IMO more justified in offshore sailing than in more protected waters, and that it takes you on deck - and surrendering the protection of the preventer - prior to gybing. Also, one common problem with this approach is that the tackle may have a bottom block with integral cam cleat, and so one must go on deck even when simply wanting to ease the main or change the point of sail. It also fails to provide a way to control the gybe using a preventer. The second option is a conventional preventer, which is usually led from the boom end, forward to the front part of the boat, hopefully thru a block, and then terminated back in the cockpit. Depending on the geometry of the boat, whether one has mid-boom sheeting, and where you lead the preventer, this can require two preventers if you want to stay in the cockpit. The advantage of this option is that the longer line (nylon, counterintuitive for running rigging) can absorb a lot of shock. However, in both cases one needs to make sure the attachment point on the boom is unquestioned. E.g. I popped the end cap off my main boom and thru-bolted my two bails). There are a wide array of gybe preventors but in truth they are more about controlling a gybe than preventing one, and they can be quite elaborate (also expensive) to set up on the boat; more in the nature of offshore gear. Personally, I've been dissatisfied with my 'preventer vang' arrangement because of the disadvantages I've mentioned...but I would hate to be without its vanging effect. So I'm moving to two end-boom preventers that are led forward to the chain plate area midships, thru snatch blocks and back to cleats on the coaming. I will lose the power of using a tackle when in good winds and wanting to pull down the boom, so I will slack the mainsheet, position the preventer, and then use the mainsheet winch to shape the main. We'll have to see what we think of this arrangement when the season begins... Jack
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