Making a Jordan Series Drogue

jesterchallenger

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Jordan Series Drogue

I deployed mine on the way back from my aborted attempt at the JC10. It was blowing about a 9-10 (don't know for sure because the wind transducer blew off) and whilst the boat felt quite under control, we were topping 14 knots (speed through the water) with the storm jib up. I have a bridle through two fairleads on either quarter, led back round each sheet winch and then through the genoa cars to a hefty cleat on the foredeck. I found it very straightforward to rig and deploy, and when I'd finished with it, quite simple to retrieve.

Once deployed, the boat sat perfectly stern-to the seas with a forward speed of about 2 knots. Although a breaking wave is quite alarming, in that it hits with a fair old crunch, the boat feels quite secure. The JSD has a bit of 'give' and I think it is this aspect that makes them so good. A large parachute tends to hold you immobile which makes the wave impact more severe. The worst thing is the water squirting through the washboards, really irritating when you're trying to quietly read a book! The disadvantage of a JSD is that you do need a bit of searoom - if a lee shore is close, I guess a parachute would be the better idea.

When you come to retrieve the drogue, it's a fairly simple matter just to winch it in bit by bit - the small droguelets easily collapse and wind round the winch drum. You do need to deploy a temporary whip with a rolling hitch just to hold it whilst you adjust things on the winch occasionally, but the good thing is that the more you wind, in the easier it gets

With the benefit of experience, I wouldn't plan on setting it again unless windspeed was F9 or above, or unless I had to stop for some reason. You do need to pay GREAT attention to chafe - I had to replace one leg of the bridle because I didn't and I know Roger lost his because of it.

My JSD comes in three parts - two lengths with droguelets and the bridle, so it would be possible to deploy a shorter length with less drag if perhaps conditions warranted a bit of speed with control. By adjusting the bridle, it would also be possible to alter the aspect of the stern to the seas, perhaps when a cross-sea develops.

Would I sail without one? No, is the simple answer. There are no hard and fast rules about heavy weather tactics and you have to appreciate there will be times when you will have to something quite different to cope with the conditions, but a good drogue of some description is a useful part of your inventory. I personally dislike lying ahull, but there are others who advocate this and have done so successfully. The Pardeys have developed a system where you lay ahull to a parachute and are very persuasive about the technique. You pays yer money.....
 

Bi111ion

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I know this is an old thread but I would appreciate peoples' advice on purchasing a s series drogue in the UK, also how long it took people to make a DIY one, and if it is as good as bought ones in the end.
 

Pye_End

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I know this is an old thread but I would appreciate peoples' advice on purchasing a s series drogue in the UK, also how long it took people to make a DIY one, and if it is as good as bought ones in the end.

If you buy the rope and cones separately, it is a simple and not too laborious job to put them all together - just right for January evenings in preparation for the season. Even if you just do a few every evening you can can put it all together in a couple of weeks. No idea how long it takes to make a cone from scratch.
 

Jim Schofield

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Another drogue question.

Having looked at several sites, most begin with 100 chutes on a drogue. I have a light boat, 800 kgs, so would 40 or 60 chutes be enough ?
It's difficult to judge this before it is needed and the penalties for getting it wrong are heavy.

Jim
 

oldbilbo

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I note that Evans Starzinger advocates mounting several ( half a dozen? ) larger drogues instead of 100 smaller ones, with a similar general arrangement. He points out that the load on each of his 'canvas buckets' is commensurately higher than on a Jordan drogue(let), so the attaching lines need to be stronger than the Jordan tapes.

I've hunted, and failed to find any info about the load taken by a single - or perhaps 10 - Jordan droguelets. It is suggested elsewhere ( the US Coastguard report? ) that the peak load transmitted into the boat's cleats/securing gear can be of the order of 2/3 boat's displacement - which seems a lot. On that basis, each of 100 Jordan droguelets deployed from a 3 ton/6600lb modest 'Jester' could be loaded to about 66lb/force, cyclically.

:eek:


Extrapolating from the 'Figure 19 graph' in the US Coastguard report - and it's proving elusive to understand quite what data this is based on - the load per droguelet comes out around 20lb/force each.

I claim no expertise - merely an interest in understanding better. P'rhaps someone can point me towards that.... :encouragement:
 
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ScallywagII

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The number of drogues is given in the Jordan specs, and it is not just proportional to the displacement. www.seriesdrogue.com/coastguardreport

If you drew a graph of the displacements given and extrapolated you would get the number, probably about 80. If in doubt err on the high side. Remember to allow for the weight of the gear you will carry, water and food will add a lot.

Len
 

Artic Warrior

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Another drogue question.

Having looked at several sites, most begin with 100 chutes on a drogue. I have a light boat, 800 kgs, so would 40 or 60 chutes be enough ?
It's difficult to judge this before it is needed and the penalties for getting it wrong are heavy.

Jim


Ive got one that was made by a little company in Dorset,,,,cant remember the company name at the mo.
My boat is 16ton and it has 140 cones the same as the ones you see on ebay etc, 20mm line to 16mm line and around 140 ft long if I remember.
The results of the drogue are very very good. ive had 3 very bad knock down while running before in a half tonner, so went out and bought one from them,,,,,£500 roughly a few years ago
 

rptb1

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It says on the ebay ad http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380223607...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648#ht_1286wt_1163 “The minimum number of cones required for a Series Drogue is 100.” The ad also has a phone number you can call to discuss your requirements. It's the same people as http://oceanbrake.com/ and the same contact info.

I'm planning a 100 cone drogue for Tammy Norie but from what I understand the key thing is length. You want enough drogue to even out the forces across the wave length. Mine will be at least 90m long.

You can read my about my drogue-related progress here https://tammynorie.wordpress.com/tag/drogue/
 
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Here's a question for those who understand hydrodynamics.....

In the context of a 'series drogue' - but seeking to avoid the labour of sewing upwards of 100 fabric cones - consider a 5" plastic filler funnel ( i.e a multiple of them ) being dragged on a warp. That would exert a measurable drag-force. Now consider the same filler funnel ( series ) being dragged in an INVERTED position. What difference in drag coefficient would result....?
 

G12

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Ive got one that was made by a little company in Dorset,,,,cant remember the company name at the mo.
My boat is 16ton and it has 140 cones the same as the ones you see on ebay etc, 20mm line to 16mm line and around 140 ft long if I remember.
The results of the drogue are very very good. ive had 3 very bad knock down while running before in a half tonner, so went out and bought one from them,,,,,£500 roughly a few years ago

Probably these guys then. http://oceanbrake.com/contactus.html
I've got a 107 cone being delivered in the next couple of days. Didn't want to cross an ocean without one. They used one on Team Philips all those years ago with great effect I believe.
 

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