Flopper stopper

[westcoaster1358]

I have a 34 and would like a really good flooper stopper, I have tried the orange "mexican hat' type from West Marine, and am looking for one that does a better job.

[Ron Hill]

West : May I show my ignorance and ask, "What's a FLOPPER STOPPER"?

[Brad Costan]

Ron,  

Flopper stoppers are used to reduce the boat's rocking motion when at anchor or on a mooring.  The ones referred to in the original post are usually 3 plastic "mexican hat" shaped cones that are joined together with a line usually about 8 feet long that you hang off of your extended-out boom and/or spinnaker pole.  The idea is that they sink much easier than they rise so there is added resistance each time the boat rocks up thus reducing the amount of rocking.  I just used one set on one side on a recent trip to Catalina Island and it didn't seem to help much, however a friend with a power boat swears that hanging one off of each side reduces the side to side rocking as much as 50%.

Another friend uses a 5 gallon bucket with a few rocks in the bottom and claims similar results when used out each side.....one off of the boom and one off of the pole in a wing & wing position.

Brad

[Paul Blumenfeld]

Westcoater,

When I anchor at the Channel Islands I use 4 of the "mexican hats" off both sides with a 10lb weight holding them down.  I've just got a ring on the jib track that they attach to and it does limit the rock considerably. I haven't tried it off the boom.  The motion is still best if the swell is coming from the bow vs. the side.

If you try one of the Rock & Roll Stabilizers from West Marine let me know how it does.

Paul

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=42849&catalogId=10001&classNum=534&subdeptNum=11206&storeNum=5

[Brad Costan]

When you hang them off of the end of the boom on one side, and off of the spin pole on the other, the idea is to get them as far out and apart as possible....thus increasing the leverage of each one on the upswing.

Sort of like how the mast swings farther at the top side to side than it does on the deck....the further it is from the attachment point, the more swing.   When you extend the boom all the way out and the pole all the way out the other side, instead of the floppers being 10 feet apart attached to the rails, they are now maybe 18 to 20 feet apart as they pick up another 5 feet on each side....so that added distance increases their leverage considerably.