Gyb’Easy

[Plumper]

It does work just like a rescue figure eight. I think it should have the capacity to work as a preventer as well. In its current configuration it neither works like a vang or a preventer, just a brake, so you still need both a vang and preventer as well.
Finally, it is ugly.

Gaz

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by Giulietta

by the way...thanks for the link,,,I like it.

All the hardware on my boat is Wichard except blocks and winches

So I assume that "increasing the setting" is equivalent to putting more wraps around a line snubber? Because that's what this is, a sort of snubber.

I have a similar mid-boom set-up I made myself (no shock absorber, though), in that I have two purchases to either toe rail, and they give me enough mechanical advantage to pay out one side while hauling in another.

This is lighter and less complex in that it is just a single long line wrapped on auxiliary winches.

I bet it's cheaper than the typical Boom Brake. Interesting stuff!

[Giulietta]

Originally Posted by JohnRPollard

There is another very similar product that has been on the market 10+ years. My tired old mind can't remember the name, and I can't seem to locate a link either. It operates in exactly the same way, as I recall, only the apparatus hung from the boom is more spherical in shape (while synthetic in material, it actually looks a bit like a lignum vitae block from an old sailing ship), with holes through which the control line runs circuitously to create friction.

Maybe somebody with a better memory will recall the name...

You are talking about the ones on the bottom of page 2 here

By the way, I know a guy that got hit by one that came lose, and the scar in his forhead still looks like a flower!!

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by Giulietta

You are talking about the ones on the bottom of page 2 here

By the way, I know a guy that got hit by one that came lose, and the scar in his forhead still looks like a flower!!

Thanks Giulietta, but no, that's not it. It was different. For some reason I seem to recall that it came from New Zealand, maybe Australia, and was being marketed here in the U.S. exclusively by a small purveyor of marine hardware -- the name that is suddenly popping into my head is SVHotwire - but that could be a memory aberration.

The one you linked to is another interesting one, though. I have always thought of that one as being similar to the Dutchman Boom Brake, i.e. with the line moving through a series of blocks. Does this mean Wichard is marketing two different kinds of breaks now?

[cjmcfall]

You could use this as a preventer, just connect the end not connected to the winch back to the same rail as the sail. Port tack, starboard rail. I think

[sailboy21]

Could a standard belay device be used for this?

A lot cheaper

[artbyjody]

Originally Posted by sailboy21

Could a standard belay device be used for this?



A lot cheaper

Just make sure it meets the load requirements....

[sailingdog]

The Gyb'Easy is a friction based boom brake design. I'm not a huge fan of it, since it is dependent on a specific type of line to function properly and adjusting it requires re-reeving the line through the braking mechanism. IMHO, you'd be better off with a Dutchman Boom Brake, which has far more control over the tension provided.

[ekotopia]

Hi there, I did not view the video of how this thing works - But as Boom Brakes go,
I will not go offshore without one - The Walder (?) works great. U can actually gybe controlled ( correctly set -off course) Just turn and tend to the fore sail(s) then ease on the control line and the boom goes over. U can also set the tension line so it goes over slowly. It is an expensive gear and U have to have a free winch for it. Therefor I made my own - A trip to the junk yard, cut the parts of Aluminum and had it welded.
Cheers

[teshannon]

With the Gyb Easy you set the tension with the number of wraps. If you set sufficient tension to slow down the boom movement does that make normal mainsail adjustments harder? With the Dutchman you can adjust the tension from the cockpit but it seems with the Gyb Easy you have to re-rig. Am I correct?