Our Walder boom brake came with the boat (Wauquiez Hood 38). We rig it to the toe rail and lead the line back to the cockpit coaming.

Adds to peace of mind, probably has prevented damage and injury many times already.

Promotes laziness; most of the time you can gybe without trimming in the mainsheet.

For ocean sailing, we also rig a preventer from the end of the boom to a turning block at the bow. We use dacron three strand with a little stretch to it (certainly not enough to allow the boom to gybe)

Problems with the boom brake? --The lines are a tripping hazard, especially at night, and get in the way of your tether sliding all the way up the jackline on the side deck. --Our Walder boom brake often has too much friction, even with the control line slackened -- in light airs, you have to push the boom across to gybe and it gets to be hard to ease off on the mainsheet (sometimes the mainsheet goes slack while the boom brake sheets the boom).

Still, I consider the boom brake a great safety device. I also tighten up on it when we leave the boat at the mooring, so that if we start rolling in the waves and the mainsheet lets go for any reason, the boom will not be slamming back and forth.

--Karl

S/V Mabel Rose