Seabrake (and/or other sea anchors)

[MapisM]

While talking of sea anchors with a pro, I was suggested to look at the so called "Seabrake" thing.
A quick forum search pointed me to a couple of old threads:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?78431-Seabrake
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?161147-Seabrake-Any-views
But sea anchors in general don't seem very popular around here, and this one is no exception.
Which makes me wonder, what's your take on this matter, folks?

 

[Nick_H]

I have a sea anchor on board, conventional parachute type rather than the sea brake, just in case we lose power and have a long wait for help in choppy sea. Following a thread on here I did try using it off the stern last summer to slow the yaw of the boat in a windy anchorage, and it sort of worked but tbh the yaw doesn't bother me, so I only tried it for a bit of fun.

I can't really think of any other use on a mainstream mobo, so I certainly don't class it as essential kit

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

What are we talking about here? A drogue to stream from the stern to stop broaching in a big following sea or some kind of paravane to hold the bow into the wind if the engines fail?

 

[sarabande]

Seabrake (and I suppose other sea anchors, too) can be used for a variety of purposes, apart from slowing down as a drogue: steering, roll damping, towing.


I've got a Seabrake, and while I've not put it to the test IRL, the structure and technology seems to be well proven.

 

[MapisM]

just in case we lose power and have a long wait for help in choppy sea.
...
I can't really think of any other use on a mainstream mobo, so I certainly don't class it as essential kit

I didn't want to mention it in advance, but funnily, that's exactly the sort of usage which the professional mariner I had a chat with believes is enough to class the thing as essential (leading to his recommendation of the Seabrake, specifically).
Indeed, his main point was that while it isn't a mandatory bit of safety kit, it can be much more useful than most other things.

He went on describing that he's aware of a couple of fishing boats where, following a power loss in a storm, a solid and effective drogue saved the day, allowing in one case the crew to repair the fault (otherwise impossible with the boat beam to the waves, cause they would have been thrown all around the engine room), and in the other case to wait for a tug that safely towed them back home.
In a third case he remembered, another boat didn't have any sea anchor to deploy, and eventually capsized.
And on top of the obvious boat loss, one of the crew member didn't make it to the liferaft and was lost at sea...

Sure, most of you will raise the objection - as I also did - that we fair weather boaters are unlikely to be catched out there in such awful conditions.
But his reply was along the lines of ...absolutely, but there's still a difference between unlikely and impossible.
Now, argue with that, if you can!

 

[MapisM]

I've got a Seabrake, and while I've not put it to the test IRL, the structure and technology seems to be well proven.

Out of curiosity, since at least you could put your hands on the real thing: do you feel that their recommendations ref. sizing of the thing vs. the boat size is appropriate?
On paper, it seems to me that what they suggest for any given boat size is aimed at selling a rather large (hence more expensive, of course) model...
Otoh, since it's meant to work also in extreme conditions, it wouldn't be much use to have something undersized, I suppose.

 

[npf1]

If it's of any interest, cluttering up my garage - and I need the space - is a virtually new Ocean Safety Pacific 20 Parachute Anchor and anchor line.