Why have a dedicated Preventer set-up?
We’ve all heard the dramatic stories of others and maybe seen the one or two broken booms and masts. But have you ever asked yourself: “Do I really need a dedicated preventer system on my boat?”
Some sailors only race, others only cruise in sheltered waters and others go coastal cruising or even full blown offshore. Now, one could argue that the moderate or occasional coastal sailor doesn’t need a preventer set-up, since one could always use a line to quickly secure the boom to lee if the conditions require it.
However, from experience of others and my own, I strongly advise you to have a preventer system in place that is easily deployed when needed. Without one, the chance that you don’t use one when you really should, will increase exponentially. Without a preventer in place when needed, you risk major damage or injury to boat and crew.
When is a preventer needed?
I’ve seen broken booms and/or preventers even on boats which only sailed in sheltered waters caught out by unpredictable wind shifts or momentary lack of concentration.
A preventer is a good insurance against an accidental gybe. That is when the boom swings rapidly form one side to the other when going on a downwind or near downwind course. While the forces generated in such a scenario are generally very high, an accidental gybe in even mild winds can result in damage to the boom, vang, the boat itself. Also, the boom and mainsheet tackle can swipe a person overboard and/or severely cause injury.
What causes an accidental gybe?
On a downwind course or near downwind course a wind shift or gust or a large wave can suddenly push the bow across the wind, backfill the main and an accidental gybe can occur and cause a serious accident - unless you have a preventer rigged.
A well set-up preventer also reduces the banging noise of the boom in unsteady seas, since it aids the vang in holding the boom from swinging up and down.
What kind of preventer suits my boat best?
There are various systems available for different applications and needs.

Temporary Preventer
When being on a near downwind course, a simple line is attached from the end of the boom to a strong point before the mast.
Advantage: Simplicity.
Disadvantage: The weakness of this temporary set-up is that you need to have a suitable line ready for use at any one time. Also, the boat usually will be already on a set course and you would have to winch-in the boom again to get the line attached to the end. Therefore what happens most, you most likely will attach the preventer at the mid section of the boom since this might still be accessible with the boom out to the lee side of the boat. While still better than nothing, this is not the best solution.

Permanent Preventer Set-up
There are a few different tactics one can use to set up a permanent preventer. However, which one you choose will depend very much on your boat and/or preferences.

The single line set-up A line is being led via a clutch in the cockpit and via blocks to the mast and up to the gooseneck of the boom. From there it will run along the boom to a block attached to the end of the boom and back to the preventer attachment at the boom - clipped in via a snap shackle - ready for deployment. (click to see Single Line Preventer drawing)
Advantage: This set-up provides you with an easy way of just opening the clutch in the cockpit and somebody to walk forward taking the snap shackle off the vang attachment and pulling it forward to a strong point ahead of the mast. Even with the boom right out over the lee side of the boat, the snap shackle on the boom vang attachment should still be within easy reach.
Disadvantage: When gybing, you will have to move the line around the mainsheet tackle to the other side. Again, this can be a bit difficult depending on how far back on the boom the mainsheet blocks are situated. It also presents itself as a single solution only to preventing. And as we all know, the best set-ups on a boat are the ones which have more than one use only.

Dual Line set-up A dual line set-up, while more complex has a few benefits over the single line set-up. To set it up the Dual Line system, you have to run a line preferable from the end of the boom forward to be attached with a snap shackle to the preventer attachment at the boom. Additionally, on either side of the boat there needs to be a line run from the side of the cockpit via a clutch and rollers to a strong point ahead of the mast. (click to see also Dual Line Preventer drawing)
Advantage: Once you are on a downwind or near downwind course you open the clutch near the cockpit of the lee line and go forward to the end of this line at the strong point ahead of the mast. Pulling out the line and then grabbing the snap shackle at the preventer attachment point from the line on the boom (which should be easily reachable). You clip them together, walk to the back and tighten the preventer line.
To avoid the issue of having to feed the line attached to the boom around the mainsheet tackle when gybing, you can set up to lines on the boom, one to port and one to starboard avoiding the hassle of having to feed it around the mainsheet tackle.
Now what about multipurpose use of this system?
Well, having the line on the boom firmly attached to the preventer attachment point serves has a great dual purpose as jackline, when the boom is winched into the mid ship position. Also, on a boat with a selftacker, either one of the side lines can be used to act as a barber hauler or to fix the selftacker car to one side, should one consider to heave to.
On my own boat, I also use the windward line to control the tackline of my Asymmetrical Spinnaker from the cockpit.
Disadvantage: More complex set-up with multiple lines required.

Commercial Products There is a variety of commercial product out there that is designed to help you with controlled gybes and at the same time act as a sort of “quasi” preventer. Many of them are very beneficial to the cruiser and sailor who are prepared to spend some money up-front to avoid major repair work and potentially injury to crew. Some of the systems available work via friction, drum or adjustable Boom brakes. They are definitely worth a look at if you need assistance in controlled gybes and when you lack the set-up of a proper preventer system.

Cool Change - a Moody 45DSe
In 2008, I embarked on convincing my wife that a boat is what we needed more than other things in life.  
“Yeah!” “Big Chance!” you might think. You are quite right! However, with the right attitude, tenacity and the right selling skills one can and does succeed.
How it all unfolded
A stroke of good luck presented in the form of one of my best Austrian friends Otto, who just happened to be part owner of a magnificent Hallberg-Rassy 62. Otto contacted me from Austria with the request to visit us and to get married to his new love in his life at our place in Sydney. He also invited us to join him and his new wife on his Hallberg-Rassy to cruise the area around Hamilton Island afterwards.
The perfect set-up
A solid and beautifully 62 foot Hallberg-Rassy, great company, sunshine, winds of approximately 10 to 15 knots and the beautiful Islands of the Whitsundays. What more does anyone need to convince one’s wife?
The search for the ideal boat
Now:  what kind of boat? A Hallberg-Rassy became the yardstick!
Listening to a lot of sailors, we came to the conclusion, that the ideal boat is a great amalgamation of compromises (E.g. speed vs. sea going – being able to outrun a squall or weather it? etc.etc. etc.).
After researching the usual suspects such as the Jeanneau’s, Bavaria’s, Hanse’s, Beneteau’s, Hunter’s and alike, it became quite clear that my wife had developed a taste for Swedish craftsmanship and quality.
Lucky for us, there was a four year old Hallberg-Rassy 43 available that seemed to suit the bill perfectly. Even though the price asked for was above our budget initially set by us. But isn’t it funny how fluid budgets suddenly get when one really has set his mind on a particular boat!?
So after a few test sails, the exceptional patience and the provision of very good and never pushy advise of the Hallberg-Rassy Australia Agent Peter Hrones, we’ve decided that she’ll be the one for us. A fair offer was made and it consequently was accepted subject to final inspection and we seemed to be heading towards our dream boat. However, a delay in availability to inspect forced us to consider an alternative.
A more suitable option in disguise
When researching the ideal boat for us, we were quite taken by a new, at least to us new, concept of a sailing vessel in the form of the new Moody 45Deck Saloon. The Moody presented itself as the ideal boat to go around the globe in comfort, albeit not necessarily via Cape Horn (even though she would be capable of this as well – as asserted by Peter Hrones of Windcraft).
The only hitch was the price. However, as it happened the Australian distributer had a two year demonstrator on hand that seemed to tick all the boxes; even though in a not as traditional manner as the Hallberg-Rassy would have done.
After lots of negotiations and the accompanying requirement to significantly stretch our budget, we’ve taken the plunge and settled on the Moody.
Cool Change
When mentioning Cool Change, invariably the tunes of the Little River Band song “Cool Change” with images from the sea spring to mind. Our Moody came with the name “Cool Change” that very much typified what we were about to engage in: getting our sailing experience up, work for another five or so years, and then take off around the world (the easy way! e.g. via Suez and Panama Canal). What a Cool Change!!!
Cool Change, our Moody 45DSe is an absolute beauty. Definitely not for the traditionalist and she requires you to think just that little bit outside the square. Cool Change provides plenty of space, is fast, steady, feels absolutely safe in rough conditions and is easily handled by the two of us with all lines coming back to the cockpit. We consistently seem to be faster than boats of more length, less tonnage and big overlapping foresails and she seem to have fewer troubles when faced with adverse weather conditions. This has to be taken in the pre-text of that we have not experienced any worse than 30 to 36 knots conditions yet.
Comfort
What we really appreciate about Cool Change is the idea of being part of the gang whether you are inside or outside. The patio type sliding doors open and extend the inside to the outside and vice versa. When other folks have to duck down below due to ill weather, we just close the doors and look out from the same level. The self tacking jib does add that little extra with the ease of handling. For fast passage making and use in lighter winds the gennaker comes in handy and adds that little bit of extra pizzazz.
Storage and laundry
While one can never have enough storage on a boat, Cool Change offers storage aplenty! Two cavernous lockers in the cockpit provide ample storage for the dinghy’s outboard motor, lines and sails, while one locker has been converted into a handy “step into” laundry with a full sized Miele washer/dryer expertly installed by the boys of Bayview shipwrights.
The 2.7m RIB sits comfortably under the dual helm station in its own garage with a fold out platform for easy access and at anchor activities.
Having a blast
We are now approximately eight months on the boat and gaining valuable experience by the week. Cool Change enjoys a bit of wind but moves graciously and surprisingly fast in light winds. The addition of the gennaker definitely suits her well in light winds and enables her to leave others in her wake.
Support
Our decision to buy the Moody 45DSe Cool Change had another benefit unbeknown to us at the time of purchase. The Windcraft Team in Australia not only provides you with a boat at purchase, they also literally hold your hands after you signed on the dotted line. Their after sale service team is a pleasure to deal with and while there is always something needing to be taken care of on a boat, Cool Change benefits greatly from the attention to detail by the Windcraft team.
We’ve just completed a few weeks ago a long weekend sail from Broken Bay to Port Stevens encompassing the experience of a night sail and all that in the company of other Hanse and Moody boats and under the professional organisation and guidance of the Windcraft team.
We sure feel privileged to call Cool Change our own and she sure has provided us so far with a cool change!
Please contact me if you need more info via  "Contact us"
Specifications