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Sep 30, '06 4:43 PM
by falmouthballad1 for everyone

I saw something about the Walder boombrake in a yachting magazine and also online. http://walderweb.com/walder_en.htm

It claims to do away with the need for a boom preventer when running downwind and to make sure that all gybes are controlled and gentle.

Does anyone have any experience using on on the Ballad.

David

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msn-basinet wrote on Oct 21, '06

David,

The Dutchman will work well, just be careful of the adjustment.

Personally, I think the cabin top would be a bad idea. As I mentioned before my lines run from the brake to the toerail

just outside the lower aft stays then aft to an area out side and adjacent to the cockpit. . It gives you a better mechanical advantage; I've seen whole traveler rigs ripped out of the cabin tops from an accidebtal or ill planned jibe.

Incidently, a few years ago the "Dutchman" donated one of his flaking systems to a local disabled sailing group here in San Francisco, Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (BAADS). A very nice gesture.

Good luck.

Dan

msn-falmouthballad1 wrote on Oct 20, '06

Hi Dan

I splashed out on a Dutchman Boom-Brake. Seems a nicely engineered piece of equipment. It is recommended that the lines (adjustable) are attached to either the shrouds (inner stay) or a ring is put on the cabin roof on each side. I would prefer the shroud (stay) option but it looks as if the lines will rub against the cabin roof. Can you recall if this was a problem with your boom-brake?

David

msn-falmouthballad1 wrote on Oct 3, '06

No hurry Dan.

Not thinking of installing a boombrake until next year.

My best wishes

David

msn-basinet wrote on Oct 3, '06

David,

The Dutchman mabe be the adjustable unit (vs. Harken) noted in my first reply; the three blocks sound familiar. As soon as I am able willl do a little research around the San Francisco area. It will be a few weeks though as I'm recovering from a short hospital stay. Hope you can wait.

Regards,

Dan

msn-falmouthballad1 wrote on Oct 2, '06

Thanks Dan

Glad it works well. Can't find a Harken boombrake on the web. The only other one, apart from the Walder, that I found is the 'Dutchman'. This is from a chandler in the USA. The Walder is very expensive compared to the Dutchman. The Dutchman appears to work by the rope taking a serpentine course around three blocks. I would quite like to see one before I bought, but I can not find a chandler in the UK that stocks a boombrake.

Thanks

David

msn-basinet wrote on Oct 1, '06

David,

I installed a boombrake several years ago and have not regreted it. It is a Harken I believe, and does not have any tension adjustmnet provisions (the newer Harken models do). It is simply a drum about 6-7 inches in diameter and about 3 inches in depth with slightly triangular endplates. Instead of the "arms" as shown on the Walder site mine has simple fairleads set at about the 4 and 8 o'clock positions. It is mounted on the same bale as my boomvang.

Found three wraps around the drum (3/8" line) is about right. Anything more than this could result in bananna shaped boom. When used as a preventer, the boom will still come across in a good gust, but with warning and very slowly. Have gotten to the point where I really rely on it when doing doing jibes.

Rigging: have two Harken rope clutches on the outside the cockpit, one on either side and slightly aft of the primary winches. Line runs through turning blocks on the towrail located just forward of the aft lowers. Clutches are always left open unless on a broad reach or running.

Tried the adjustable models but they were not satisfactory as: 1) Had to experiment by doing several jibes to get right tension. 2) When line got wet had to adjust again. 3) The tension adjustment knob was not that reliable and would loosen up.

Needless to say all of this resulted in a few surprises; maybe I just had a lemon as Harken products are really good stuff.

Have not had very much luck in posting pictures to this site so I hope all of this makes sense.....please contact me if you have any questions.

Regards,

Dan (Acqua di Vita)

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