Making drogues

zoidberg

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I'm mulling making up my own. Of those here who've done that, what kind of tape did you use - and where from?

Has anyone any experience to share of heat-welding tape to vinyl-coated fabric?
 

afterpegassus

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I made up my drogue some winters ago.
I bought the cones ( a latch hook came with them) which otherwise would have been very labour intensive to make up.
I spread the assembly over several winters evenings and it was not too tedious.
I also made up substantial chainplates from stainless flatbar as bridle attachment points on the stern quarters.
 

pandos

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I am planning on making one also.

I have the main line but have struggled to identify the fabric to use... in terms of weight/type and also a source for tape/webbing.

From the various videos the tape seems very light but I have not found any specifics on breaking strain/size.
 

Poey50

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I was planning to make my cones until I saw the thickness of fabric, taped edges, and general quality of the Ocean Brake ones. I couldn't compete with that at £3.50 a throw. I saved money instead on sourcing the line from a large fisheries supplier and in making up the drogue. 12 strand HMPE is easy to splice and to fit the cones, so that was a pleasure, unlike the prospect of sewing 100+ inferior cones.

No connection with Ocean Brake, BTW.
 

scruff

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I also made up substantial chainplates from stainless flatbar as bridle attachment points on the stern quarters.

I think this is what Roger Taylor / MingMing did too and it does indeed "look the part". However, why would you not just use the stern cleats? Are your chainplates appreciably stronger?
 

ibbo

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Sewing the drogues takes time, but is perfectly doable on a winter evening. I used an old sail for the material, and the cheapest tape I could find.
I have since considered the midi version though with less, larger cones. Would be a whole lot less work.
Would it work as well?
 

RobbieW

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I think this is what Roger Taylor / MingMing did too and it does indeed "look the part". However, why would you not just use the stern cleats? Are your chainplates appreciably stronger?
In principle you need to be confident that the strongpoints that a JSD attaches to can take the full weight of the boat, thats the way I remember it anyway. Having seen a cleat tear out when forgetting to take a line off, I'm not convinced they'll do the job.
 

Poey50

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I did make just one ...

Te0traul.jpg


Ocean Brake ones ...

s11q1R1l.jpg


Completed splices ...

jy6bs1pl.jpg


Because of the slippery nature of the line, stopper knots are added every 10 feet for purchase on recovery ...

1iD9QnCl.jpg

Photo: Ocean Brake
 

zoidberg

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I think this is what Roger Taylor / MingMing did too and it does indeed "look the part". However, why would you not just use the stern cleats? Are your chainplates appreciably stronger?
Don Jordan, the engineer/designer of the JSD, makes it very clear that most deck and coaming-mounted winches and cleats would likely prove insufficient, risking their fastenings being ripped out. That's why he recommends 'chainplates' mounted on the quarters and reinforced very substantially inside. Some, with steel-hulled boats, have been able to weld fastening points on - but they clearly have researched and understood the likely loads AND direction.
 

scruff

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Don Jordan, the engineer/designer of the JSD, makes it very clear that most deck and coaming-mounted winches and cleats would likely prove insufficient, risking their fastenings being ripped out. That's why he recommends 'chainplates' mounted on the quarters and reinforced very substantially inside. Some, with steel-hulled boats, have been able to weld fastening points on - but they clearly have researched and understood the likely loads AND direction.

Interesting, thanks
 

Poey50

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I've just made some drogue attachment plates for a customer: 10mm x 60mm 316 Stainless with four 10mm bolt points so pretty hefty

Good to know, since I am that customer!

In case anyone is wondering why there are not more bolts, a minimum spacing of 12 cms between bolt centres for GRP (together with a thickened hull and backing plates) was recommended by Practical Sailor. (Design load for our boat on one bridle is 5,740 ib.) So more fasteners could actually be weaker for the same length of plate. A single M10 faster in 10mm GRP with 12 cms between holes was found to be able to take 5,000 ib in shear.
 
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zoidberg

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** Just make pretty damn sure that the 'Displacement' figure you use to select then specify everything to the right - including chainplates, bolts, and RODE - reflects the LADEN DISPLACEMENT and not the boat-builders' 'light ship' configuration.

Then consider allowing a 'margin' for all sorts of good reasons...... :love:
 
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