iPedia Free Information Center

Information about Boom Brake

Enlarge picture
Boom brake with line. The brake shackles to the bottom of the boom, and the line attaches to the base of the shrouds; tensioning the line actuates the brake.
A boom brake is a device designed to control the swing of the boom on a sailboat. The boom brake acts as a preventer when sailing downwind, and can also be used to jibe the mainsail in a slow measured action.

The brake usually rides on a line running perpendicular to the boom; when the boom brake is actuated, it grabs the line and either works as a preventer, or slows the boom’s speed while jibbing. The brake is actuated by either tensioning the line upon which it rides or using a second line to tension the brake relative to the main line.



 •  • [ e]
Parts of a sailing ship
Anchor Anchor windlass Beakhead Bilgeboard Boom brake Bow Capstan Centreboard Daggerboard Deck Figurehead Forecastle Gunwale Hull Jackline Keel Keel (Canting) Leeboard Mast Orlop deck Poop deck Quarter gallery Rudder Steering wheel Skeg Stern Tiller Winch
In sailing, a boom is a spar (pole), along the foot (bottom) of a fore and aft rigged sail, that greatly improves control of the angle and shape of the sail. The primary action of the boom is to keep the foot of the sail flatter when the sail angle is away from the centerline of
..... Click the link for more information.
sailboat or sailing-boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship,
..... Click the link for more information.
A preventer, or jibe-guard, is a mechanical device on a sailing vessel which limits the boom's ability to swing dangerously across the boat during an accidental jibe.

The uncontrolled jibe is feared by all sensible yachtsmen.
..... Click the link for more information.
Sailing ship is now used to refer to any large, wind-powered, vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a specific rig of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant.
..... Click the link for more information.
anchor is a heavy object, often made out of metal, that is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point. There are two primary classes of anchors—temporary and permanent.
..... Click the link for more information.
anchor windlass is a machine that restrains and manipulates the anchor chain and/or rope on a boat, allowing the anchor to be raised and lowered. A notched wheel engages the links of the chain or the rope.
..... Click the link for more information.
beakhead is the protruding part of the foremost section of a sailing ship. It was fitted on sailing vessels from the 16th to the 18th century and served as a working platform by sailors working the sails of the bowsprit, the forward-pointing mast that carries the spritsails.
..... Click the link for more information.
A bilgeboard is a lifting foil used in a sailboat, which resembles a cross between a centerboard and a leeboard. Bilgeboards are mounted between the centerline of the boat and the sides, and are almost always asymmetric foils mounted at an angle to maximize lateral lift while
..... Click the link for more information.
bow (pronounced to rhyme with how) is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow.
..... Click the link for more information.
capstan is a rotating machine used to apply force to another element, notably used on board ship and on dock walls, for heaving-in or veering ropes, cables, and hawsers.
..... Click the link for more information.
A centreboard is a retractable keel which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a centerboard trunk (US) or case. The pivoting ability allows the centreboard to be raised to operate in shallow waters, to reduce drag when the full area of the centreboard isn't
..... Click the link for more information.
A daggerboard is a retractable keel used by various sailing craft. While other types of centreboard may pivot to retract, a daggerboard slides in a casing. The shape of the daggerboard converts the forward motion into a windward lift, countering the leeward push of the sail.
..... Click the link for more information.
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull[1] of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface.
..... Click the link for more information.
figurehead is a carved wooden decoration, often female or bestial, found at the prow of ships of the 16th to the 19th century. The practice was introduced with the galleons of the 16th century, as although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation, the figurehead
..... Click the link for more information.
Forecastle", also spelled fo'c's'le (pronounced /'fəʊksəl/), originally meant the upper deck of a sailing ship, forward of the foremast.
..... Click the link for more information.
The gunwale, (IPA /gʌnəl/ ) pronounced "gunnel" to rhyme with "tunnel", is a nautical term describing the top edge of the side of a boat.

Wale is the same word as the skin injury, a weal, which, too, forms a ridge.
..... Click the link for more information.
A hull is the body of a ship or boat. It is a central concept in floating vessels as it provides the buoyancy that keeps the vessel from sinking.

General features

Nearly all watercraft, from small boats to the largest ships, adhere to a general form that serve the needs of
..... Click the link for more information.
jackline is a rope or wire strung from a ship's bow to stern to which a safety harness can be clipped, allowing a crewmember to move about the deck safely when there is risk of falling or being swept overboard.
..... Click the link for more information.
KEEL 710AM is a general talk radio station in Shreveport, Louisiana. It is owned by Gap Broadcasting.

The station's lineup includes Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, and a local sports talk show hosted by the team of "J.J. and Bonzai Ben.
..... Click the link for more information.
A canting keel is a form of sailing ballast, suspended from a rigid canting strut beneath the boat, which can be swung to windward of a boat under sail, in order to counteract the heeling force of the sail.
..... Click the link for more information.
A leeboard is a lifting foil used by a sailboat, much like a centerboard, but located on the leeward side of the boat. The leeward side is used so that the leeboard isn't lifted from the water when the boat heels, or leans under the force of the wind.
..... Click the link for more information.
mast of a sailing ship is a tall vertical pole which supports the sails. Larger ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship.
..... Click the link for more information.
The orlop deck is the lowest deck in a ship (Except for very old ships). It is the deck or part of a deck where the cables are stowed, usually below the water line. It has been suggested the name originates from "overlooping" of the cables.
..... Click the link for more information.
poop deck is a deck that constitutes the roof of a cabin built in the aft (rear) part of the superstructure of a ship. The name originates from the French word (la poupe)[1]
..... Click the link for more information.
quarter gallery is an architectural feature of the stern of a sailing ship from around the 16th to the 19th century. Quarter galleries are a kind of balconies, typically placed on the sides of the sterncastle, the high, tower-like structure at the back of a ship that housed the
..... Click the link for more information.
rudder is a device used to steer ships, boats, submarines, aircraft, hovercraft or other conveyances that move through air or water. Rudders operate by re-directing the flow of air or water past the hull or fuselage, thus imparting a turning or yawing motion to the craft.
..... Click the link for more information.
wheel of a ship is the modern method of adjusting the angle of the rudder, in turn changing the direction of the boat or ship. It is also called the helm, together with the rest of the steering mechanism.
..... Click the link for more information.
A skeg (or skag) is a sternward extension of the keel of boats and ships which have a rudder mounted on the centre line. In more recent years, the name has been used for a fin on a surf board which improves directional stability and to a moveable fin on a kayak which adjusts
..... Click the link for more information.
stern is the rear or aft part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter to the taffrail.

The stern area has always been the location near the steering apparatus (rudder, tiller, ship's wheel, etc), and
..... Click the link for more information.
tiller or till is a lever attached to a rudder post (American terminology) or rudder stock (English terminology) of a boat in order to provide the leverage for the helmsman to turn the rudder.
..... Click the link for more information.


This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.
Herod_Archelaus


page counter