Sea anchors/drogues

[R400]

On a particularly frisky return to Holyhead the other night it occurred to me that a sea anchor would be a good idea if waiting to be rescued in the short chop wave length we get round Anglesey. Boat weighs about 3500 kg loaded. Question is what size would we need ?

 

[Mike k]

sizing info here
https://jimmygreen.com/sea-anchors-and-drogues/698-yacht-drogues

 

[AndieMac]

On a particularly frisky return to Holyhead the other night it occurred to me that a sea anchor would be a good idea if waiting to be rescued in the short chop wave length we get round Anglesey. Boat weighs about 3500 kg loaded. Question is what size would we need ?

Go for a proper parachute sea anchor if you want direct head to weather hold with a minimal drift rate. Yacht drogues won’t give you this, probably more like 45 deg., still allowing the dreaded beam roll.
The head sea pitching motion is far easier to put up with and the (approx.) 1/2 knot drift rate gives time to get the problem sorted, especially onto a lee shore.
The parachutes are more expensive, but a good and safe investment. Important to attach a retrieval line to invert the parachute to get it back onboard, especially for those using them regularly for slow drift fishing.

 

[sarabande]

Drogues and sea anchors are quite different animals.

What do you want to achieve ? Slowing the boat down in following seas; keeping the boat head to wind and waves, and drifting with the tidal stream; or ...?