Hi Clark,

No question about it, a boom brake used in concert with a traditional preventer is definitely a belt and suspenders approach - not a necessity by any means, especially for coastal sailing... But for offshore sailing, or sailing in waters like those illustrated by Jud below in his pic from Alaska, I think it is a great piece of gear, well worth the investment... I made the decision to purchase my boom brake after first having used one on someone else's boat, so I'm not trying to justify the expenditure after the fact...

But, IMHO you are mistaken if you think your preventer system performs the same function as a boom brake... If you're happy with your system, fine, but try using that setup on a 50-footer with a Leisure-Furl boom in a blow, guaranteed you'll wind up breaking something, or hurting yourself or your crew...

Also, IMHO, you're not using the most effective preventer arrangement you can with your set-up... I believe an offshore preventer needs to be taken from the end of the boom to a point near the bow, outside the lifelines... A preventer rigged mid-boom, more vertically to the rail or deck hardware inside the lifelines, has much less leverage than one run from the end of the boom, risks breaking hardware or tearing it out of the deck due to the vertical pull, and risks damage to the boom if it is dipped, or in an accidental jibe...

We always tend to focus on heavy weather scenarios in these types of discussions, but one instance where a boom break really shines is when sailing in very lumpy or confused seas, when the breeze is relatively light, and the wind pressure on the main is not always sufficient to keep the boom in position. This is often when a boom can become most lethal, during that interim time after a jibe before you can get the preventer rigged again on the new side, a boom brake is really nice to have in such a situation... Or, even while ghosting along on a light air day with no preventer rigged, and suddenly having to deal with a flailing boom after encountering a series of powerboat wakes, for example, a boom brake can be really nice to have at such a moment, it will keep the boom from going wild...

best regards,

Jon