On 2 Apr 2007 08:22:59 -0700, "Skip Gundlach"
wrote:

Skip,
May I make a couple of points.
1. You said that you had a sea anchor and would have used it had it
been more readily available. When crossing an ocean or when uncertain
weather is imminent, it may be a good idea to have the sea anchor
ready for deployment on deck. It is not onerous and will give you
confidence to face any weather. I have a short length of stout nylon
line with a eye splice on each end - with galvanised thimbles. One end
drops over the bollard on the mid-foredeck (bronze maltese cross). The
other is shackled to a short length of half inch galvanised chain
which passes over the anchor roller preventing chafe to any line (one
of the main problems of a sea-anchor). One does not have to crawl up
the deck in a stong wind and crashing seas in the dark to "move the
line a little". From the chain to the cockpit, outside the staunchions
and secured at intervals with plastic cable ties, I have an 18 mm
three strand nylon rode with an eye at each end.

The sea anchor plus the zipped bag with the 120 metres of nylon braid
are secured to the aft deck. Both ends of the braid are available when
I open the bag and I shackle these (two bow shackles to each eye
splice for added security) to both the rode along side the boat and to
the para anchor.l When I decide to deploy, all I do is lie the vessel
about 20 degrees off the wind and waves, throw out the retrieval line
after clipping on a large round fender as a float, and when it has fed
out by the boat's backward drift, I feed out the para anchor. It all
happens in surprising slow motion and i'm sitting down, safely in the
cockpit the entire time. The anchor pulls the nylon braid out of its
bag and then, when that it out, it pulls on the line to the bow,
snapping the cable ties one after another. There is nothing greater
than being bounced around crashing up and down through the seas and
heading into bad weather, than suddenly lying stable with the bow
rising up and down with each on-coming wave. It's just like parking
your car in a busy freeway on a long journey and taking a break.

There is no way that I want to lug a heavy couple of bags up to the
bow in heavy weather - it would be a good way to lose them over the
side, go over myself, or sustain an injury by either falling or being
banged against something.

I use half inch galvanised shackles solely for security. I have had
316 shackles fail without any warning. One was attached to a SS chain
hook at the end of a nylon snubbing line. It suddenly broke on both
sides of the pin - mujst have been crevice corrosion. As the shackles
are solely used for the sea anchor, there is no rust. Oh - and I
always mouse these shackles with stainless siezing wire which I have
short lengths ready attached to each shackle. I have an oiled pair `of
pliers in the side pocket of the sea anchor bag solely for this.

Word of warning - make sure that you have plenty of sea room. Boats
vary, but mine drifts abckward at about half a knot - considerable in
losing all that distance by running.

2. Learning on digital systems.
Though I am employed in the digital technology realm and am no
technophobe - I strongly believe that people should first learn to
navigate using a paper chart, even if only at home. I have met sailors
engaged in a circumnavigation who could not use a paper chart at all.
A few came to grief in one form or another. There is something about
being absolutely familar with a paper chart, plotting courses,
determining leeway, tide etc that gives a more complete picture to a
relative novice than does a digital chart system.

Digital systems are great. That is all I have used for a number of
years now, but I have found that people seem to comprehend better when
they have started on a paper one.

Hope this is of use.

cheers
Peter
N.Z. yacht Herodotus