Re: [PUP] Sea anchors and series drogues
I don't think we're at odds here at all, Bob.
Your 53' boat sounds a lot like my 53' Skookum, except the Skookum displaces
75,000 with a 7' draft. Basically a sailboat hull (the Skookum 53 was
originally a ketch-rigged salmon troller). As you say, a drogue is an
accepted procedure on these hull types. And I would use a drogue on her in
conditions such as exist when running to the Canal from here (Windwards) at
this time of year. Big wind, big seas from astern; big speed for days all
the way.
From what I know and have read about, a drogue is not generally appropriate
for hurricane conditions anyway; heaving to with a sea anchor is more
appropriate when actually in hurricane force winds and seas; running off can
be downright dangerous and there are limits. I have spoken with people who
thought they could run off and did so for a day, but it got too intense and
they finally hove to, making the turn in the
trough. Despite the accolades heaped upon the series drogue by some, the
single small chute, properly deployed, has proved itself many times and
saved many a boat. I have one on the Westsail, and I am not about to buy a
Jordan because it may be a bit better.
But I'll stick to my statement that I wouldn't use one on a fat boat with a
"conventional trawler transom." What I mean is the wide, low transom that
many trawlers have, as opposed to the wine-glass transom on my Skookum.
John
"Seahorse"
Bob Austin writes:
My experience was in 53 foot boat which weighed 60,000 lbs. The hull form
was very simiar to Passagemaker. This hull form is double ended at the
waterline, but with reserve bouyancy, and a relitatively narrow counter
transom. This is not unlike a number of passagemaking motor vessels, such
as the Romsdahl trawlers. I was able to handle the boat in 65 knot winds,
40+ seas for three days, with out a drogue. If the conditions had
detiorrated further I was prepared to steam a drogue of tires, wooden 4x6
timbers, chain and rope. The series drogue had not been built at that
point--but would have been a much better alternative. The use of a drogue
in this type of boat is an excepted proceedure.
As Mike pointed out, the force of wind and waves with a boat which rides
to a sea anchor in very heavy seas and high winds is huge. There is
question if the sampson posts /bits would hold this strain. Running with
large seas decreases the effective velocity which the wave overtakes the
boat--and the boat can be steered to some degree to ease the effect of the
wave. A lot depends on the design of the boat and this needs to be taken
into consideration. This is a decision made on the spot by an informed
skipper.
Handing any gear on the deck of a boat when the seas are huge and the wind
us over 60 knots is very difficult and dangerous. One has the made
decisions on the spot as to which is their best option. My personal feeling
is that under moderate conditions where one needed to do repairs a sea
anchor is a viable option, in survival conditions, the serious drogue may be
better.
I have seen some passagemaking motor boats which are similar to Steve's
power boat--which shares some chararecteristis with his last sailboat
Boewolfe in hull form. Nothing wrong with this hull form--it is very
effecient.
Regards,
Bob Austin
"JP Scratches" jpscratches@hotmail.com
At 07:18 AM 2/21/05 -0500, you wrote:
From what I know and have read about, a drogue is not generally appropriate
for hurricane conditions anyway; heaving to with a sea anchor is more
appropriate when actually in hurricane force winds and seas; running off can
be downright dangerous and there are limits. I have spoken with people who
I am running out of time to write up a critique of some of the issues that
have been brought up about drogues and sea anchors.
What comments I have time for are as follows:
Unless one has a good understanding of the series drogue concept, it's
strengths and weaknesses it is pretty hard to make a comparison with other
similar equipment. From where I can see, the boating community as a whole
generally has little understanding of the series drogue. I have tried to
start a discussion of the series drogue. Unfortunately most of the
responses and discussion have veered completely off the subject of the
drogue itself and have become digressions into the entire realm of drogues,
sea anchors, storm tactics. Bob Austin has it figured out about the best,
but some of his notions are not as well grounded as I think they could be.
I would have gone into some detail about this, but as I said I am running
out of time. Any detailed response on my part will have to wait until I get
back in a couple of months. There may very well be no magic bullet drogue
that can be applied in all storm conditions, but in order to know what to
apply where and what makes the most sense one needs a clear understanding
of the strength and weaknesses of each system.
By then, I have may deployed the series drogue which is being built for the
boat, as I write.
Regards,
Mike
Capt. Mike Maurice
Tualatin(Portland), Oregon