Rocker Stopper, the roll attenuator that won't break the bank
- Details
- Category: Discount Marine Supplies and Items
- Published on Thursday, 26 May 2011 14:15
- Written by George Boase
- Hits: 1230
I'm all for anchoring.
I enjoy it immensely and love the freedom and cost savings it gives me. The wife? Not so much. The reason is she hates sitting on a boat that's getting tossed around like a sack of laundry. Come to think of it, I'm not wild about that part either.
There's anchoring, and then anchoring with style. If you can't be comfortable at anchor, there's a problem. Roll attenuators are, in my opinion, not an option. They are a necessity for comfort especially in a rolly situation. We can't always have a nice protected harbor away from other traffic.
The mega yacht crowd has had them for years. Trawlers use them as well as most commercial craft. The problem is they have always been on the expensive side and require professional installation. The most common on the market is called a "Flopper Stopper" and it's a pain to deploy, and pay for.
Boaters are a creative bunch to say the least. I've seen more than a few home-brewed versions of attenuators. Some of them actually work! My favorite is a triangular piece of marine plywood suspended in a harness with a weight attached to one corner. When the attenuator is being let downward, the weight tips the triangle to allow water flow. On the up surge, a three-way harness pulls it flat to add drag and dampens the roll effect.
These do work, they are cheap ... but if you don't suspend them PERFECTLY flat, they tend to wander side to side on the up surge and keep you awake banging into the side of the bottom. At least the barnacles don't get a good rest either.
The other notable problem is I've never figured out a good place to store them. They're not small, and they just don't seem to fit anywhere below deck. If you change boats, they're not a one-size-fits all thing. You have to build a new set dependent on the size of yacht.
Several months ago I received a product email about an attenuator called "Rocker Stopper." The price is right, they store well, are made of durable and salt resistant plastic and are as easy to deploy as anything I've seen yet. You simple drop them over the side and tie the line to a cleat.
I'm going to be using a set in the course of research for my next book, Anchoring with Style, Plain and Simple. I can already see more than a few real advantages. First is the cost. The suggested price is $12.99 per cone. The second is storage and last but not least is ease of deployment. If you move up to a larger boat, just add more cones to the string. No need to re-invent the wheel.
If you want to check them out, the website is www.davisnet.com. I'll have more to say about them as the season progresses.
