BLUEMOMENT

Interestingly, well to me anyway, nobody has mentioned a boom brake instead of a rigged preventer line. I have never seen one in use but been thinking about it for when just me and SWMBO on board, when I am not too keen on going forward to rig anything downwind.

As I understand it, a boom brake can prevent a gybe and/or help planned gybes be more controlled in the speed that the boom passes across. BUT, it seems to be more string in the cockpit, including at head level, which is always to be avoided IMHO.

anybody actually use(d) one?

Dave, I would recommend any of the learning to sail type books and the RYA CompetentCrew book for the basic stuff. It would be well worth the effort, but more than this I would encourage you to do what we did and both you and Louise book up for a Competent Crew course. It was great fun and SWMBO who doesn't like burying herself in learning books, learned a great deal and it gave her a lot of confidence. If you can spare 5 days I can well rcommend a guy in the Clyde where the sailing is fantastic and he is great with the ladies.
Powerskipper used him as well.

Couldn't agree more and when we can, we have a freind who is a qualified instructor willing to take us on, so sort of all in hand for the not too distant future. But until the course is done, or experience gained, lots of people are lost when they see strange new words and it puts them off sailing in the first place, so what I'm suggesting is a way of helping people into the sport before they fork out for books and courses.
Personally, I am rubbish at learning from either courses or books, I learn more by doing it hands on, but when items of kit have a 'wierd name' although I could go off searching for what it is, as anybody can, that means I go somewhere else. If I can find all the answers in one place, I'm less likely to drift off (not just me, if you get my meaning )
That's one of the secrets of TOP, if you needed to know the answer, it was normally there somewhere. If it wasn't, it wouldn't take long for someone to give it.
Now if you could get that here, without the unpleasant element, it's got to be better IMHO

Nick, many thanks, stack pack duh, got one of those but just called it the boom bag

..and he is great with the ladies.

This is an ability which cannot be overvalued.

We did our Comp Crew as a family when it was everyone's first experience of a yacht. We made sail on the first day in very light airs, the boat heeled infinitesimally and swmbo said "Ooerr!" Cap'n Dave immediately put 2 reefs in and commenced motor-sailing.

On the last day we again had 2 reefs but this time we were going to windward in F5 & 6 without demur. I still cherish this pic of the day in question. Excuse the quality and no, that's not swmbo with the horizontal hair on the pushpit seat.

We use a single line for preventing the main - both ends tied to the boom and led round the bow through a block;

We use ths same system as Shard. Claymore doesn't like going upwind in a strong breeze so the person(s) on board would drop the main at the first opportunity (stacpac) and motor back to the MOB. Never done this but I have a notional plan to motor back upwind using the autopilot to steer which allows one to drop the main and be moving in the general direction of the MOB. I have managed to furl the genoa with the pole still attached - this as an experiment, not in anger. As someone else mentioned, I just clip the pole onto the sheet, not though the bowline.

The bottom line on Claymore is that we tend not to wander about on deck if it is breezy as we both feel it would be a nightmare for one of us to recover the other, so prevention is our main line of thinking.

Anyway - I guess Nick is really talking Open Ocean Sailing - him being an Arse sores man.....

Just been looking at the picture - If that yellow lifeline is the one that the young woman is tethered to, she would fly a fair distance if she came off her perch. Don't think I'd have her sat there at that angle of heel if I was her instructor.

I hate to contradict you Claysie .. but aaaaargghhhhhhh..........

aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh is not a term of contradiction that I am familiar with - you are normally a reasonable communicator so perhaps you'd like to attempt a fuller description of your intended contradiction in order that I might more fully understand what you are trying to say?

well I did'nt contradict you, but. The Aarrghhhhh was merely a compassionate shriek at the thought of yersel even contemplating an uphill struggle against the wind to rescue the sainted Deerhart,but. I wiz overcame with emotion, please forgive me,but.

So yer objection wasn't a response to my comments about the fotie.

I think Claymore would be an absolute sod of a boat to lose someone from - sailing downwind in particular with the genny boomed out or the spinny up would be my idea of a desperate situation to get back to a MOB from, particularly if it was just the two of us.

So go on -make my day punk, contradict me.

even with the aid of Myrtle and her sisters .. the trusty fender steps?

Even dropping the dinghy down from the davits and Fiona.

I went for a swim last year ( voluntarily) and thought I'd try getting back aboard - bearing in mind that I was only wearing the 50+ equivalent of speedos and therefore not weighed down by sodden clothing, I really struggled to get back aboard just using Fiona - we now have a ladder that goes below the surface but a struggle without

In all seriousness, getting back on board any boat is truly difficult but Claymore would be an absolute nightmare

Agreeing with me does not constitute contradiction. Please make your contradiction - I'm rather looking forward to it.