M_Boats: RE: Boom Bale

At the risk of betraying myself to the group as a hopeless neophyte (I fear it may already be too late) I make bold to ask: what exactly is a boom bale (or "bail")? If it's what I think it is, I believe that these might make my life on the water considerably less troublesome. Is there a downside to having them? -- Steve McClellan~~M15~#152~~Chicago