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Sailing is a remarkably safe activity, despite the potentially dangerous environment in which it takes place. This is undoubtedly due to the safety-conscious attitude of most skippers and their crews. Nonetheless, even the best sailors can still get in trouble when and where they least expect it.
When I was a young Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Yachtmaster instructor, one of the standing orders for all the sea school’s staff was to either have a preventer rigged or the mainsail furled, or be sure and sit next to whoever was at the helm when sailing downwind. My employer clearly recognized the danger of an accidental jibe, both to his reputation and livelihood.
It’s an approach that has served me well over the years and one none of us should ever forget. A blow from the boom or mainsheet in an accidental jibe is one the most common causes of serious injury while sailing. A crash jibe in heavy weather is also an almost certain recipe for damaging the boat or rig.
The classic solution is a line led forward from the boom to stop it crashing across from one side of the boat other: hence the name “jibe preventer.” This should be as much part of the standard package of a boat’s running rigging as the mainsheet. Sadly, this is rarely the case.
A preventer should run from the aft end of the boom, outside the shrouds, forward to the bow and then back again to the cockpit where it can be easily adjusted. It’s often tempting to attach the preventer to the midpoint of the boom. However, doing so runs the risk a broken boom or gooseneck.
Even worse is taking a preventer from the middle of the boom to the toerail, as the line acts downward, markedly increasing loads compared to one that’s led to the bow. Granted, many have successfully used this arrangement for thousands of miles. However, the risk of significant damage is so great I would never do so.
A preventer should also never be made fast on the foredeck. In order to be free to luff up or jibe to avoid collisions, it must be possible to adjust the line from the cockpit. It’s also important to be able to safely ease a preventer when it’s under load. If it can’t be taken to a convenient winch, a mooring cleat of the kind that allows a rope to be eased with a single turn will suffice…
Photos by Rupert Holmes
June 2021
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