[brob76]

+1 for Kiwigrip. Went on quite easily and seems pretty durable after one season. Looks great too and better footing than any molded non-skid I've seen. On Auriga, the original molded non-skid had worn down to where the pattern was barely noticeable. Maybe you're seeing the remains of the original non-skid...or maybe someone did some re-core work. You never know on these old boats.

The mid-boom preventer made me nervous too. With a boom that long, there is a good chance of it bending, or worse, snapping if you dunk it. That's what I like about the brake. I had a nasty unintentional jibe last year and the brake gave even though I had it tensioned down pretty well.