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From: Len den Besten (no email)
Date: Wed May 03 2006 - 04:09:16 EDT
Richard,
I had an url which related directly to the USCG website but I misplaced it... You can find the report via
http://seriesdrogue.com/coastguardreport/
I use Adlard Coles' book "Heavy weather sailing". After Coles died the book ha been edited by Peter Bruce. Part I consists of technical info/advice, materials, tactics. Part II is a series of true (horror-)stories that contain comments on the tactics used and I must say in a mindclearing manner...
Reasons for us to chose a series drogue from the stern over a chute off the bow:
- our Reinke 15M has much windage caused by the bow/decksaloon and is pushed aside a lot more easily and faster with the wind on the bow than with the wind from behind.
- As a result of that: when the retaining force of the chute is absent even for a short time we will soon be pushed aside and get the waves coming in from the side.
- The relatively easy deployment of the series drogue off the stern vs a 24ft diameter parachute from the bow.
-The flexibility. When circumstances alter it is easier to change tactics with a series drogue hanging out (change the length and thus the amount of cones deployed or set/remove a stormjib) than a large chute. When a storm is lessening you will want to set some sail (for support fi) but circumstances will have to improve further to get the chute in. When you use a drogue with some sail just to prevent you from broaching in a surf and the storm gets heavier you just have to deploy all cones and remove the jib. I would hate to go out on the foredeck to deploy the chute in that moment. When you use a pre-installed bridle so you can deploy the chute from the cockpit, the risk of the chute/line to get tangled up is imo bigger icompared with deploying a series drogue.
- The conventional droge is described as prone to be catapulted in your direction or as prone to loose it's braking effect from time to time as a result of slack in the line. The series drogue always has an efective part of the line in the water with cones deployed so there will always be a braking force present.
At first I refused to accept the idea of deliberately taking a breaker from behind. It's unnatural, I thought. But when I took into account the higher stability of our ship with the wind from behind, also the fact we have large decksaloon-windows (hardened and layered glass but nevertheless) and the other points mentioned, I got convinced.
There are disadvantages of course. I did picture myself a huge breaker in the cockpit.
As a result I will build a hardtop (alu) doghouse with multiple retaining points for lifelines (but I would have replaced the sprayhood by a doghouse anyhow).
I have made an extra protection (lexan) for the instruments (engine, anchor-counter, vhf, autopilot, nav instuments) cause I just don't trust these displays to be really waterproof.
The companionway doors are extra strong and the entrance can additionally be protected by an extra set of 1" boards at the cabin-side.
The removal of the water from the cockpit is by 2 pipes with a 4" diameter. (But I expect the next wave to shake the water out as fast as it came in...)
You just can prepare so much.
Regarding sewingmachines: I bought a used Pfaff 360. Found it at a shop of a retired mechanic. There are lots of Pfaffs around, in NW Europe that is. Beastly strong and very much up to the (zigzag-)job. I just have to be so lucky that the damaged spot is not in the middle of the sail cause the arm is not very long.
Fair winds,
Len.
Richard Bradshaw <> wrote:
Len,
Do you have a Web site URL for the report? I did a search and came up
empty. I think I have read a segment of the report way back when but
would like to revisit it since it is much more applicable now.
BTW, Have you read the Pardey's book on storms and how they handle
it? If not I'd suggest it. They use the sea anchor with an adjustable
bridle and it seems to work well for them. We plan to do the same
since we have a more traditionally styled boat. However, we are
cognizant that the situation might arise when we need a drogue.
As an aside, anyone have any opinions on the Sailrite sewing machines?
Thanks.
Rick
HC 33T
"La Vita"
>For storm-survival purposes and after reading the USCG Report CG-D-20-
>87 we're going to add a series drogue to the inventory. In stead of
>one huge parachute which can be hard to deploy and at times will leave
>you without any braking-effect, we choose the line with many little
>chutes that will yield braking-effect in any circumstance.
>
>Looking at prices (way over 2,000 euro's for a 120m line with 160
>little 5" chutes made of cloth) and convinced this isn't rocket
>science, we are thinking about building our own. The moderate forces
>on one single cone permit a DIY project in my view. My goal is a 120
>meters of 18 mm 3-braid, nylon line with 150 cones spliced into it.
>
>Any experience here with a DIY series drogue? I am interested in the
>exact cone-pattern, type of cloth and thread you used and also the way
>you spliced each cone into the line.
>
>Fair winds,
>Len.
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