Sea Anchor

[MedDreamer]

I read somewhere recently about sea anchors (I thought it was on here but I can't find it) and remember thinking it would be a good idea to get one.

However I can't now remember why I thought I should have one. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

So should I have one? Under what circumstances would I use it? Is there anything I should be aware of regarding using it? and how big should it be?

All help would be appreciated, I haven't spent any money on the boat for about five days now so I need to find something to buy /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Martyn

 

[tcm]

ah well, for years i tho0ught these were like sky hooks, but in fact buying a sea anchor certainly affords a fine opportunity for pissing up a load.

It's a parchute, an the idea is to use it to hold the boat a bit/lot in areas where your anchor can't reach the bottom, you sling thing out the front.

There are two types, the cheap one, and the spensive one. The spensive one is massive and good for holding you bows into a storm. The cheap one is the sort of thing you see the fishing types using a some ungodly hour in the med and think how the hell are they anchored in 200metres?

Needless to say, mine is the massive expensive one BUT I got a decent discount, but ahem i havenae had chance to use it. When in deep shite, instead of merely crying, there's something manly to do, namely ponce about about with the sea anchor and you're sposed to hurl out the parachute anchor with loads and LOADS of rope (which costs about the same again) attached and hope it all works. If it doens't work, or if i chuck it over without oh [censored] tying it on then at least you (i) can feel pretty smug and return to the cockpit and say hm well bad news, that didn't work BUT if it does work then there's even greater smugness than the smugness you get from people saying "have you got a sea anchor?" or "what's a sea anchor?" - which let me tell you is almost worth the price of the sea anchor alone...

 

[jimduncan1]

Is it something like this?

[url="http://www.safety-marine.com...e.com/sm/product.asp?dept_id=16&pf_id=SM08078 [/url]

 

[tcm]

hm

but that's just an anchor innit. Not a "sea anchor" as in common parlance.

 

[Gludy]

I have been studying this subject and even managed to purchase a whole book on using drogue and sea anchors!

I think before a sea anchor a power boat would have a drogue higher on its list - this is dragged behind you in certain situations in a following sea to help prevent you broaching. Its not as big as a sea anchor and costs about £200 - although you can make a decent one out of a sack they use to hold sand in (any builder merchants).

If you manage to have an engine breakdown in any sort of heavy sea - a sea anchor can save you and your boat.

I am getting a drogue because there are times when it can be very useful, even if its only used to slow a broken down boat from drifting onto rocks. I am thinking about a sea anchor.

The sea anchors is a much bigger affair - normally tied to the bow and can help you survive a huge storm or in any event manage to anchor yourself out at sea, The ones i looked at cost aboyt £1000!!

So both can be useful but the drogu is probably the first purchase.

 

[martinwoolwich]

I think this is what you\'re looking for

Here

 

[jhr]

I guess the question to ask is whether you're ever likely to get into a situation where you're in such awful weather that the only option open to you is to stream a sea anchor - and whether or not you'd be far enough out from the coast for it to be of much benefit.

Trying to be pragmatic about it, I reckon that the chances of such a situation developing are fairly slim and that it's more likely to be of use to people who either have large enough craft to have ventured a way offshore (like tcm and Gludy) or have a displacement craft and can't run away from the weather (like Milltech, who I think contributed to the last thread). In a dire emergency, and in open waters, it's not unknown for people to use their real anchor, either as a drogue or as a sea anchor. It won't be as effective but will be of some help.

So, much though I hate to discourage a fellow boater from spending money on their pride and joy, I don't personally reckon it's worth you opening your wallet on this occasion.

 

[Gludy]

I can understand where you are coming from - avoiding bad weather is the number one safety thing on the list but things can happen and if when they do, even a 1 in 1000 chance, then a sea drogue can come in handy. But as you say the chances of use are slim but they are also slim for using a lifreraft yet we still have them

 

[tcm]

Re: yep that\'s the one

yep, not sure but might be exaccerly same manufacturer

 

[Gludy]

Re: yep that\'s the one

Its the Aussie one for the sea anchor.

Alladins cave are the UK agent.

There is lso a UK made drogue - used by the RNLI.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Lets face it. You'll buy it, stuff it in a locker for years and when the time comes when you think you might want it, you'll have forgotten where you put it. Dont spend your money on this namby pamby safety stuff. What you want to do is buy something really useful for the boat like an icemaker or a stripey bimini top or a 12V cigar humidor

 

[tcm]

Useful uses of a sea anchor

agree with Deleted User IF the thing was to be useless. But the small ones ain't.

In the med, everyone bimbles from one bay to the next to find a nice spot. But first thing in the morning, on lots of days the water is failry flat wherever you are. This is a good chance to explore the least used part of the med - straight out at sea.

five miles out or so, the water is actually blue rather than erm not really blue. And this is when an (orrdinary, not monster parchute) anchor would be useful. Cos it is great to stop and jump in to fab clean blue water - but not so great when the boat turns side on to the admittedly small waves and the rolly rolling starts. The sea anchor stops the bow turning and the boat sitting side-on.

Hence sea anchor wd be jolly excellent thing. Oh yeah, and for fishing in uk, except i'm crap at that.

The parchute thing is for if you think you might bust an engine in biscay, which i sort of nearly did (except engine blew 400 miles later , and only one of them...)

 

[MedDreamer]

Re: Useful uses of a sea anchor

The small one is the one I was thinking of for exactly the reasons you state as I don't plan on doing the Bay of Biscay (Bay of Pollenca nore to my taste) - Anything above F4 and SWMBO mutinies

But how big would it have to be to be effective in pointing the bows on a 30ft planing motor boat?

 

[tcm]

Re: Useful uses of a sea anchor

not very big. er (wild guess) 2metres diameter. Or less. Fishing shop in majorca might be the place to get one?

 

[itsonlymoney]

Quote
What you want to do is buy something really useful for the boat like an icemaker or a stripey bimini top or a 12V cigar humidor.
Were do I get one of these 12v cigar humidor's you mention /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Sounds just the job.....
Ian

 

[Gludy]

Re: Useful uses of a sea anchor

A 30 foot boat would need about a 24 inch diamter drogue - that is if you want to use it as a drogue to tow in a following sea.

You can also use it to give you a slow drift and in effect anchor further out in the way suggested.

These will store very small and are made of rot proof material.

A sea anchor is a much bigger thng and can cost over £1000.

I really suggest a drogue as the start in this - they have a number of uses. I can understand folks drawing the line at a full blown sea anchor parachute.

If you get one let me know where because I am having trouble finding a decent one in its own stowage bag etc.

 

[EME]

Re: Useful uses of a sea anchor

Heck, if you cann't source drogues what chance do the rest of us have ...?

Ought to be a challenge for you...

 

[Gludy]

Re: Useful uses of a sea anchor

I have contacted the Aussie company and got nowhere - emailed Alladins Cave their UK agent, no reponse ... found the source for the RNLI one and they can tell me nothing much about it - I phoned and they could not answer any questions .... so yes, I am having a problem sourcing a very low tech drogue!

 

[cliff]

Re: Useful uses of a sea anchor

[ QUOTE ]
I have contacted the Aussie company and got nowhere - emailed Alladins Cave their UK agent, no reponse ... found the source for the RNLI one and they can tell me nothing much about it - I phoned and they could not answer any questions .... so yes, I am having a problem sourcing a very low tech drogue!

[/ QUOTE ]Have you tried the little drogue chutes that are used to deploy a main chute as in air dropping supplies / equipment - military surplus is a good place to start looking.
----------

 

[Gludy]

Re: Useful uses of a sea anchor

I gave in yesterday afternoon and phoned Alladins Cave - they asked me to phone another number - their mail order and I ordered the Aussies drogue - 80 metres of braid with a drogue then 10 metres and a mini drogue - a sort of double drogue but that what you apparantly need for a 6 foot boat.

The cost is a little absurd but I have done it now, so I will try it all out and report back.

The sea anchor from my boat is £1400 - its over 100 foot diameter that is massive! using that you best make sure there are no other boats around!