Nightmare

Nightmare

I would wager that an uncontrolled gybing boom is most sailor’s worst nightmare. If you’re on anywhere near or on the cabin top, you’re as good as gone.

Running dead downwind today we were rolling heavily in the swell when Seaburban got caught wrong-footed. The boo came crashing across the deck and fetched up against runner.

Luckily, the only damage was to the cover of the running back stay. The clutch holding the runner stripped the cover.

I bought and had the rigger install a boom brake to prevent this from happening. It doesn’t work. I called the manufacturer about this before I left. All I got was “Read the manual”.

I removed some core, rejoined the two cover pieces and stitched the whole kaboodle together. This Is core only line so the cover takes no load.

A word to the wise: Very little beats a good old block and tackle. That’s what is doing the job now on Seaburban. The fancy boom brake is now just expensive boat jewelry.

Follow my tracks in real-time:
https://bit.ly/svseaburban