Drogue or Parachute anchor?

If you are trying to go to windward off a lee shore neither will help. And motoring up to a bouy in half a hurricane aint exactly easy either with respect. This recovery technique assumes you have sat safe on the bloody thing until all is quiet. I never got beyond the rough bit. I did however recover it using the tripping line. If you dont have a tripping line the only alternative while there is a sea running is to cut it away.
 
Re: It\'s a different game.

Er... Yes! And in my case I make a very bad passenger and Im not religious. If there is a God he will probably be looking after his own. I prefer to look after myself!
 
Another good reason why cats should stay with the time honoured polynesian style symmetrical hull shape. Bow and stern the same shape.... My after bollards (not cleats) are well oversize and backed up with very large steel spreader plates underneath as big as the bow ones. But then I built PEREGRINE after my experiences with drogues and with that in mind....
Just another illustration that not only are we all different, but so are our boats and percieved priorities..... But thats good. Boring if we were all the same.
 
Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

It was explained to me that if a big blow is expected then the para anchor can be made ready in advance by attaching the bridle to the forward cleats, run the line along the rails attached with cable ties and prepare for the "launch" from the cockpit.

Sounds easy don't it?

I think as Pepermint has suggested Asterie will lie ahull anyway and if that doesn't work as a last resort I'd try the drogue out the back..

I will try the drogue before we set off and let you know..


Ian
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

Not having tried either, I've been following this thread with interest. I'd agree with your conclusions that Asterie will lie ahull and I'd personally much prefer to run out a drogue astern than faff about with a parachute from the bow.

I imagine that tuning the length of the towed drogue to the seas is important so would have a very long line, stowed in a bag climbers fashion so it's easy to run out when needed.

I quite like the look of the series drogues as these spread the load along the line rather than just at one point.
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

The run out of the line has to be considered, the rope, sorry warp, I have for the drogue is in the garage at the moment and I need a fork lift truck to get it to the boat!

It will take a couple of hefty crew to sort out letting it go over the stern, I also need to make up a bridle to attach the single line to both aft or maybe midship cleats.


Ian
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

They also avoid the drogue jumping the waves between crests. Much better. Actually its surprising what just trailing long warps will do with a series of buckets. Dont tie them by the handles though as you will loose them. Upend them. Drill a hole in the bottom and thread them on the warp upside down with a stopknot in each at about 5 metre intervals. I tried them the obvious way up but the drag was too much and it broke the buckets. Upside down with 5 buckets in a line it's mustard!
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

Interesting, do you mean the open ends of the buckets facing backwards? This sounds like a great idea, thanks!
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

Bloody hell! Sounds a bit like overkill Ian. Have you actually tried it? You certainly need the warp to be at least 60 metres to be effective but 6inch (circumference) or 2inch dia if you prefer soft nylon rope is quite sufficient to slow my 37ft cat from over 10 knots to less than 2. If the drogue is too big it starts to qualify as a sea anchor and we are back where we started!
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

What about sewing up some canvas buckets to stitch onto the warp along with me canvas pants you promised..

Ian
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

Open ends backwards yes. When retrieving stack the buckets and flake the rope down by the side and it takes up little room in storage. At each stopknot I tied in a wooden crosspiece to ensure the knot didn't pull through.
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

The nylon rope is 20 ish mm maybe 25 , 'bout 100 metres I think and the drogue is a canvas one about 2 feet in diametre.

Too much rope?


Ian
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

Sounds like a trip to B&Q for some appropriately orange buckets and some plywood for reinforcing the bases. Mind you, 60m of 2" nylon will take some stowage, non?
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

Not really. In fact for a 42 ft boat 20mm dia rope sounds a bit light. Shouldn't need a fork lift for that though although rope is always heavier than you think. 2 ft drogue sounds OK for a 42 ft boat too. all you need to remember is that one single drogue will need weighting a bit to stop it skipping the waves especially with nylon rope that floats. As previously stated I prefer a series of smaller ones spaced down the warp, to one big one.
Have you tried it yet? The nice thing about a drogue is that you can try it out in moderate seas first to get confidence in using it. Difficult to get experience with a sea anchor until you need it then it's too late!
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

For sure - probably best without a Tome crew enduced hangover?

Mast up tomorow with any luck..

Ian
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

Might be a bit heavy having said it. Belay that. I just looked at a bit of the same size rope in my garage and its only about 35mm. Never was any good at estimating rope sizes! Depends of course how much slowing you want or need to achieve. My cat has a bleeding great big wheelhouse open at the back which makes sails obsolete downwind in a good blow so I have the main drogue on heavy rope with a bridle in lighter stuff to each stern. You may find you need a lot less on a mono with less windage. Still think Ian's 20mm a bit light though. Also watch Leopard's very valid point about attachments. If you suspect your aft cleats are a bit lightweight downsize the whole thing a bit. Remember the nice thing about drogues is every little helps. Sailing ships of old slowed their progress by towing bare warps.....
 
Re: Parachute anchor depl;oyment theory?

I was thinking to hold the bucket to the warp. Instead of a strip of wood and a knot why not cut circles from a sheet of marine ply it would give more holding power on the bucket.....but then why not just use the circles and dispense with the bucket...however why use circles why not use strips of wood.....this reminded me of a ladder I could roll up. By conecting to a halyard I could use it to climb the mast.
Drogue and ladder. Two for one.
 
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