I suppose the multi-hulled crowd will be amused but for the sailors balancing a mast on one hull, flopper stoppers can make a rolly anchorage very pleasant. Yeah, I can hear the comments already "If you want the bunk to stay still, stay on land". I'll thank you now in advance for your ever so helpful advice, but if your advice doesn't work with your first mate then it won't work with mine either. But for those of you who would like to share your advice, experience and pickies, please do. I've been in anchorages (for a one night stand) where gear has come dislodged in the boat that never looks like doing so while under sail. After scratching the head for a while, it would seem the fixed type mounted on an outrigger, I've seen used by professional fisherman would have to be the bench mark (or close to it). These give resistance in both directions as well as being able to be tied for and aft to stop the current (in some anchorages) lifting the flopper stopper from its optimum position of vertical.

Now keep an open mind here. I've also heard that by placing weight up the mast you can reduce the movement. Bit like how a competition diver stops their rotation before entering the water by stretching out.

i am constantly amazed by the ideas that crop up on here !!!!!! what a ball biter !!!!!!

Crusoe said..
I've also heard that by placing weight up the mast you can reduce the movement.

That makes it worse.

Get rid of your roller furler system and anything else that adds weight above the deck and choose your anchorage well.

Sometimes a rolley anchorage is better than no anchorage at which times you use the devices described above.

Thanks all for you feedback. Yeah Ramona, I'm am concerned about how much sideways stress the FT might would put on the rig and after I made up a temporary one out of a board used for going up against pylons and some diving weights, I had to then listen to the associated ropes take the strain with every new swell. It did help with reducing the roll, so as usual the brain says "How can we do this better" and another job was added to the wish list. I've seen a commercially available model overseas so I know I'm not the only person interested in a solution. I sleep on my side so the swell is more of a problem than it is for you lucky sailors who sleep on their stomach or snore on their backs. I've seen pictures of square ones with multiple louvers and larger ones with 2 folding plates. I've also heard of people using drogues before but thought that the delay in the drogue opening and closing might not make them very effective. Also that larger the distance between the tip and hinge of a louvered version would correspond to a delay in producing drag and the same would apply to the single board with divers weight. But with a lot of things on a boat there has to be a compromise. Size and stowage also have to be considered.

I'm always on the look out for a anchorage with no swell (like everyone else) but its amazing how the main ocean swell can wrap around an island (from both sides) and reach a supposedly sheltered bay. It must make for an amazing aerial photograph. You can't beat up the creek, but these are few and far between for a 1.8m draft and I would hate to base my cruising plan on them. (Balancing a mast on one hull is achievable but I've never had much luck balancing a hull on one keel in a shallow anchorage)

Commercial Item:
www.forespar.com/products/roll-stabilizer-flopper-stopper.shtml
www.navagear.com/2011/04/19/rocker-stoppers-an-oldie-buta-goodie/

BORNFREEE said..

Catamarans have their problems at anchor also

Generally it's alcohol related

Aussie Navy uses a system on some of there ships from memory when at full stop it seemed to extend out floats either side for stability