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Stu[_2_] Stu[_2_] is offline
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Sep 2007
Posts: 3
Default Sea Anchors and Drogues

Hey Vic;

I saw this post with your name. I had used drogues when I got caught in an
extra tropical hurricane "Grace" back in 1991. Wild ride, seas 35-40 feet,
a few rolled over the deck. You may not remember, but on Gamgee I had
organized a lot of things using plastic milk crates. When we started
surfing, I unscrewed the milk crates and attached to a stern anchor line.
It slowed us down and things were controllable again. The plastic would
break apart after 5 or 8 hrs. I ended up using all the milk crates. The
storm was still bad, so I ended using my stern Danford 22 S anchor. It
worked but not as well as the crates, the danford would pull down at about
30 degree angle. Where as the milk crates pulled at the surface. Awesome
sight seeing the milk crates explode and tumble down a wave face.

Yea I need to buy a real drogue for the new boat. I hope if I purchase
well made drogue, maybe I will never again see such waves again.
I am not keen on sea anchors, especially off the bow. A sea anchor slows
the boat's speed. When off the bow, you end up going backwards, different
type of stress put on a boat, think of that rudder getting hammered.

Stu

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 2 Jan 2008 17:40:42 -0500, "Roger Long"
wrote:

wrote
I would like to open up a discussion on the use of Sea Anchors and

Drogues.
Should an ocean going sailboat carry a Sea anchor or a Drogue or both?
When should I use a Sea Anchor or a Drogue.
From what I see at the stores a Drogue is cheaper to buy than a Sea
Anchor.


There was a long exchange here very recently about this. A search would

be
more productive than trying to do it all over again.

Usenet is a dynamic environment. Posters come and go.
There's always the possibility for a new experience to be
elicited by opening a topic. Otherwise, it will die quickly enough.
You're right about searching first though.

--Vic