Sea anchors and drogues

[Boatman53]

Trying to distract from the fires ravaging my favorite canoe country I was thinking about a couple of other posts dealing with weighted anchors and rudders, and got me thinking about sea anchors and drogues. Any boat going in the ocean should have them and I had a sea anchor on my 32’ boat. A sea anchor is deployed from the bow and keeps you pointed into the wind and slows your drift and is fairly large and shaped like a parachute. A drogue is payed out the stern and has more holes, the idea is to slow the boat down in a following sea and help keep it from broaching. Years ago when I was canoeing more on salt water I sewed one up but never used it. I dug it out of storage a week or so ago finally figured out how to control it in my solo boat. It’s 9” diameter opening and 14” long with a hole at the end, it made from some left over ripstop nylon and webbing. I made a stainless steel wire rope hoop to keep it open to ensure it doesn’t collapse, but it is flexible so packing is no problem. Years ago in some book I think I saw the advise of trailing a big pot with a bale at act as a drogue but don’t know where I saw it. Anyway here are some pics and I’ll bring it with me next time I get out but I generally avoid conditions where it might be helpful, at least on day trips.
Anybody try something like this?







Jim

 

[Ralph]

Bill Mason in "Path of the Paddle" p. 173 talks about using a cooking pot as a sea anchor.

 

[lowangle al]

’ll bring it with me next time I get out but I generally avoid conditions where it might be helpful, at least on day trips.
Anybody try something like this?

It looks well designed and I think it should work Jim. Get out there and give it a try. While nobody likes wind on a trip, I find it can make a day trip more interesting as well as better exercise.

 

[bark-eater]

Trying to distract from the fires ravaging my favorite canoe country I was thinking about a couple of other posts dealing with weighted anchors and rudders, and got me thinking about sea anchors and drogues. Any boat going in the ocean should have them and I had a sea anchor on my 32’ boat. A sea anchor is deployed from the bow and keeps you pointed into the wind and slows your drift and is fairly large and shaped like a parachute. A drogue is payed out the stern and has more holes, the idea is to slow the boat down in a following sea and help keep it from broaching. Years ago when I was canoeing more on salt water I sewed one up but never used it. I dug it out of storage a week or so ago finally figured out how to control it in my solo boat. It’s 9” diameter opening and 14” long with a hole at the end, it made from some left over ripstop nylon and webbing. I made a stainless steel wire rope hoop to keep it open to ensure it doesn’t collapse, but it is flexible so packing is no problem. Years ago in some book I think I saw the advise of trailing a big pot with a bale at act as a drogue but don’t know where I saw it. Anyway here are some pics and I’ll bring it with me next time I get out but I generally avoid conditions where it might be helpful, at least on day trips.
Anybody try something like this?

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Jim

Have a look here:
https://archive.org/details/venturesomevoyag002022mbp/page/n1/mode/2up

It's been 20+ years since I read this, but the author was a big proponent of the sea anchor used inshore.

 

[Boatman53]

Thanks bark-eater I’ll peruse it this evening. Maybe I can get it thru my library, I’m generally not fond of electronic books but I’m glad they exist.
Jim

 

[bark-eater]

I'm thinking a sea anchor might be a good safety addition for a boat with th Falcon sail. It looks like you need to head to wind to get the sail down. That could be a trick with the sail up forward on the boat. Deploying a sea anchor from the bow will pull the bow into the wind and slow things down if your hit by a microburst.

I took a sea anchor along when I was paddling an inflatable river canoe on the gulf coast, because I was worried about being blown off shore if a storm came in from the north. Never needed it, and now I need to figure out where I put it...