Ken, Be careful here. I had a very similar conversation with Don Jordan exactly one year ago and also the people with Ace Sail Makers. Don concluded that because the figures for the 35 ton boat were for a sail boat, the series drogue for a similar sized power boat needed to be larger. Flat Earth is a 40 ton boat and my series drogue is 490'. I don't remember how many cones it has. That's 25% larger and my boat is less than half the size of yours. I do think he may have gotten a little carried away in my case, but ask Ace Sail Makers if they have the design data for Flat Earth (probably in my name). I hadn't 'broached' this subject before on the list with regard to the series drogue, but data indicates that there will never (well maybe just seldom) be a wave breaking over the transom into the cockpit. Rather than fighting the waves, the series drogue appears to allow the boat to float with them somewhat and waves simply pass under the stern. I probably didn't describe that quite right but that is the jist of it. Deployment for me could not be easier. The drogue rests in a dock box in my cockpit. I have snaked it into the box so that the two ends of the bridle are on the top of the box and also the very end of the drogue that carries the weights. To deploy it all I have to do is attach the bridle loops to the cleats on the corners of the boat and toss the weighted end over the transom. The rest of the drogue will snake right out of the box. Retrieval is more complicated and time consuming, but I do have a windlass installed in the cockpit to help. Phil Eslinger Flat Earth N50 Ko Olina, Hi

Phil: At the end of this email is the proposal I received from Ace Sailmakers. Unless someone responds to this posting telling me I'm crazy, I'm go with this proposal. My guess is that it is the same as what was made for your boat (Flat Earth). My boat is heavier, with greater windage, but I've convinced myself this will be adequate. Dave, at Ace Sailmakers, mentioned that he had made seven of these for heavier trawlers, including one for the Dashews (http://www.setsail.com/s_logs/dashew/dashew311.html). Several people have suggested having different types of drogues for different conditions, but I'm going to just do this one. It isn't my style to make a passage unless it is "the best month, and the best possible forecast from the weather router." I'm also a warm water kind of guy. Thus, I have zero interest in the extreme northern or southern latitudes. Even with this, I'm sure I'll get caught in seriously ugly conditions sooner or later, but hopefully can mitigate this through careful route selection, picking the right months and a good weather router. -Ken Williams PS to Ron Rogers.. I agree with your comment about windage being more a factor than displacement. I've been asked on many occasions to contrast the 68 with our (former) Nordhavn 62. I've been consistent in saying that the 68 will be infinitely more comfortable, but there will be MANY days when I wish I had back that nice low profile of the 62. PSPS Thank you to everyone on the list for the invaluable feedback, and especially to whoever posted the 888 page Coast Guard manual. A lot of great information there. -------------------------------- Hi Ken here's a recent quote for standard 250 cone drogue using nylon double braid: > > > From: Dave [mailto:jordanseriesdrogue@yahoo.com] > > > Sent: 27 September 2006 06:12 PM > > > To: ivork@karanbeef.com > > > Subject: Re: FW: Jordan series drogue > > > > > > Hi Ivor, > > > > > > A beautiful yacht, congratulations. > > > for 60 tons loaded displacement: > > > > > > A: Version A: 250 cones on approx 480' rode > > > Approx 170' of 1" nylon double braid, tapering > > > to approx 185' 3/4" nylon double braid tapering > > > to 1/2" nylon for the last 125'/approx 75 cones > > > on last section. > > > > > > Approx 110 lbs for drogue itself (not bridle legs) > > > Approx 20" x 20" x 26" volume > > > > > > $XXXX plus bridle legs, if desired, plus shipping/handling. > > > > > > > > > > > > VERSION B: Using Spectra braid, as we did for Steve > > > Dashew's power yacht, will cut weight in half, and > > > reduce volume. Bridle legs could also be Spectra. > > > I can quote if desired. Line is much more expensive, > > > and it is much more labor to install cones. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Dave Pelissier > > > Ace Sailmakers > > > JordanSeriesDrogue@yahoo.cpom > > > FAX 860 739 7999