Steve Cramer wrote:
I don't know anything about drogues, so I'll say something I do know
about. Before you add complex gear...
1. Get some training. It's unclear if you are new kayakers or only a new
tandem team, but you should learn to deal with wind and waves in a safe
location that doesn't require Coasties.
2. Pay better attention to conditions
3. Don't go out as a single boat.

Glad to hear you're OK. Must have been a scary time.

Steve

!Jones wrote:
As new tandem kayak team, we recently got caught in water that was
beyond our capability. The wind and waves quickly turned our boat and
rolled us. I was able to right the boat and climb back in; however,
I'd be dumped trying to bring it around into the wind... uktimately,
the Coast Guard had to pull us out.

First, of course, stay out of that position; however, given that
you're there, does anyone carry a drag device, aka: a sea anchor or
drogue. If so, what type and size to you use? How do you rig it? At
which end of the boat do you keep it standby? It's like a life jacket
in that, when you need it, you won't have time to dig it out and
attach it.

As I understand, a "sea anchor" is a different idea from a "drogue" in
that a sea anchor is supposed to hold you essentially stationary with
bow into the wind and a drogue is a smaller device that's towed and
keeps the stern into the wind while affording some steering of the
boat.

Am I on the right sheet of music? I see that *Para Sail* makes a 36"
drouge... I'd assume that ought to be big enough for a kayak????

Jones


--
Steve Cramer
Athens, GA

I would echo what Steve is saying!! Sounds to me like you have some
other problems in the weight distribution in your tandem. I am not
clear about whether you were out single or tandem when you had this
incident occur. Even if you were tandem to start with, once you
rolled, you would have weight issues until you were both back in the
boat, and weight was again properly distributed..

I have seen numerous discussions about the use of sea anchors and
drogues on various sailing forums, and the consensus seems to be that
they are not recommended under normal situations where you would
typically have one ready to deploy on the deck. One big problem is that
for them to work you have to have a great deal of line deployed at the
same time. This becomes a major hazard if you are in the water, and
subject to being hung up on all that line. If the first thing you have
to do is cut the line loose, the drogue would have accomplished little,
and only constituted false assurance of being able to control your boat
in a wind.

Also when deployed they seriously hamper your ability to steer or
control the boat freely. The wave action is variable, and you need to
be flexible to respond. They were meant for larger sailing vessels to
ride out a storm in open ocean, which is not where you are typically
using a kayak. Also they would be inclined to self deploy at a very
inopertune time such as when you are in heavy surf and crossing seas!
To all of a sudden have a sea anchor inhibiting your ability to control
the boat, could be a very rude awakening! TnT