# seriesdrogue or sea anchor



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

we have a 46 foot catamaran and are not sure what to buy. any recomendations and pros and cons ?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I think a Jordan Series Drogue is a better investment than a sea anchor. It will put less strain on the boat, and is probably one of the best pieces of safety gear for a small sailing craft...and 46' is still pretty small.

If you haven't read up on the Jordan Series Drogue, I'd recommend you go to the website, www.jordanseriesdrogue.com and take a look around.


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## billyruffn (Sep 21, 2004)

I think they serve somewhat different functions. A drogue, deployed from the stern, is intended to slow a boat while sailing/running downwind and to prevent a broach / roll situation from developing when a large following sea engulfs the boat. A parachute 'anchor', deployed from the bow, is more of a way to "stop" the boat at sea during a storm. The Pardeys have written quite a bit on the subject. Their strategy in the use of the para-anchor involves heaving to, deploying the para-anchor, and then letting the boat drift very slowly downwind and, in the process, creating a 'slick' to windward of the boat that disturbs the surface tension of the water and inhibits the wave from breaking over the boat. The para-anchor is probably much harder to deploy and recover, but set correctly, it apparently allows you to retire below and get some rest. With a drogue deployed I think the boat has to be actively helmed.

I have a sea anchor and hope never to use it! I also have a drogue. Ditto.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Dawg...how does a multihull heave to? I don't mean technically...how well does it work without the same keel/rudder fources that a monohull has? Is lack of heaving to ability and resulting high stress on the boat via the sea anchor the the reason for your recommendation of drogue vs. sea anchor for a cat?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Billy-

The Jordan Series Drogue was designed to be a deploy and hunker down storm device for surviving the worst the sea can throw at you. Don Jordan, when I spoke with him prior to getting my JSD, compared it to an ejection seat on a plane, where you pulled the handle and then let it take over. Then, when the seas have calmed down... you haul the JSD back aboard and go on your way. 

Cam-

Multihulls can heave to much like any sailboat. However, most multihulls are far safer if they retract their centerboards/daggerboards, since their ability to slip often helps prevent them from capsizing. The real problems with a parachute-type sea anchor apply to both multihulls and monohulls IMHO. 

The problem with a sea anchor is that if it is properly sized, it will effectively stop the boat almost dead in the water—like an anchor would. The forces on the attachment points are incredibly high, much higher than those experienced by a Jordan Series Drogue, and few boats have hardpoints that are sufficient to the task. 

Also, the way a parachute sea anchor loads up, is very different from that of a JSD. The parachute will suddenly fill and put a very high shock load on the boat and gear. Unlike a parachute-type sea anchor, a series drogue loads up gradually, as the boat moves forward on the wave crest and the drogue line straightens out. 

The Series drogue is designed to slow a boat down to a very slow speed, and prevent the storm's forces from capsizing or damaging the boat. Since the boat is still moving, the waves, even breaking ones, don't get a chance to clobber the boat. Tests and real world experience has shown that the JSD will pull a boat through a breaking wave and prevent the wave from capsizing the boat. The boats generally don't even get pooped seriously, since the boat and the waves are moving at relatively close speeds. 

Because of the design, a JSD can't collapse if the wave hits it wrong, like a parachute can. It also doesn't have to be a specific distance from boat like a parachute sea anchor does, simplifying its deployment. 

Finally, the amount of rode you need for a parachute-type sea anchor is often bulkier than the JSD for the same size boat would be.

I hope this helps Cam.


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## billyruffn (Sep 21, 2004)

Dog, Nothing wrong with an ejection seat when the world turns to s***.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Yup...that's how I feel too...so I got a JSD for my boat. 


billyruffn said:


> Dog, Nothing wrong with an ejection seat when the world turns to s***.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Gentleman 
Thank you verry much for your comments. i understand that the JSD will slow me down but what are we doing if we have wind and breakers ahead of us.
According to the posted i will order a JSD if i can find the right size for a 46 foot catamaran


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

If you're in a lee shore situation, neither a parachute sea anchor or a Jordan Series Drogue is going to be the appropriate storm technique to be using.

You can get sizing info for a Jordan Series Drogue *here*. The sizing of the drogues is by displacement. What does your 46' catamaran displace???



seajoy said:


> Gentleman
> Thank you verry much for your comments. i understand that the JSD will slow me down but what are we doing if we have wind and breakers ahead of us.
> According to the posted i will order a JSD if i can find the right size for a 46 foot catamaran


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

SD thanks
displacement is 25000 lbs and not listed on their website


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

You'll need to call them at Ace Sailmakers. They're a good bunch, and one of the few lofts that makes Jordan Series Drogues. The person I spoke to, IIRC, Dave, said that the bulk of their business has been taken over by the manufacture of series drogues.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

thanks SD
they replied very quick


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## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

*Seajoy*

I hope the replies you received here, are not the only research you've done on the subject. Most authorities and folks who have been in bad situations in catamarans seem to feel a sea-anchor is the way to go. You should obtain a copy of "Drag Device Data Base". This book has several hundred first-hand accounts from people who have actually used drouges & sea-anchors on all variety of boats.
I've never been in a life threatening storm, but as I understand, other than a well set anchor, the only device that may keep you off a lee shore, is a sea-anchor.
Marc


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Be aware that the Drag Device Data Base was published in 1990, updated most recently in 2000 and due out with a new edition shortly. Also, the Drag Device Data Base may not be a reliable source of information, having a relationship to the Para-tech brand of parachute sea anchors. The books publisher is listed as: Para-Anchors International at Amazon.com. An excerpt from their website:



> S/C-21: Vessel name Mutual Fun, Prout Catamaran, LOA 37' x BOA 16' x 6 Tons. Mutual Fun was hove-to to an 18-ft. dia. *Para-Tech* sea anchor in a whole gale about 450 nm NW of Bermuda in Force 9 conditions for about 15 hours. "Once the anchor deployed, it was like sailing into another world. No longer were we punching into the sea, but just riding over them.... We were able to say 'time out' during a severe situation." (Quoting her owner).
> 
> S/C-22: Vessel name Stress Relief, Catamaran, LOA 33' x BOA 14' x 6 Tons. Stress Relief used a 12-ft. *Para-Tech *sea anchor four times in heavy seas en route to Bermuda from Newport. Writes her owner: "First Time, 5-25-97: 48 hours on the sea anchor, seasick. Second time, 5-27-97: water inside the salon -- hung on the sea anchor until daylight. Third time, 5-30-97: radar fell off the mast & engine broke -- hung on the sea anchor until daylight. Fourth time, 5-31-97: genoa ripped during the night -- hung on the sea anchor until daylight."
> 
> ...


I seriously doubt that the only brand of parachute sea anchor out there is a Para-Tech... yet that seems to be the emphasis of the site.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I'd also recommend reading this webpage, this page and this page. I'd also recommend reading this thread over at Cruiser's Forum.


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## gershel (Feb 4, 2001)

WOW! Excuse me. I only suggested he do more research than just reading this thread. I wasn't aware that the ocean has changed since 1990. I didn't mean to upset the all-knowing seers of this site. Please forgive me Your Highness.

Humbly, Marc


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Gershel-

I was merely pointing out that the Drag Device Data Base, both the book and website, may not be as objective and impartial a source of information, since they do have a relationship and presumably a financial interest in a parachute-type sea anchor manufacturer. Finanacially-motivated sources are rarely in the best interests of anyone but themselves and their wallets.


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## bobwebster (Jan 25, 2005)

In a 46-foot catamaran, a sea anchor will put an awful lot of stress on whatever it's attached to. I've been told, and I tend to agree, that I would only use a sea anchor if the engines are out and the storm is blowing me toward shore. Otherwise, I'd use a drogue (or motor away from shore).

You can rig drogue with a Y harness so you can adjust the angle. I've tried it (on a Catana 52) and it's pretty stable even without the autopilot, with a bungee cord holding the wheel.

If you don't have a series drogue, you should make sure and put some chain ahead of the drogue for weight, and use a long rope, so the drogue doesn't fly out of the water between waves.

Think ahead on how you will retrieve the drogue (or sea anchor, for that matter). It will take some winching.

I haven't used either a sea anchor or a drogue in a storm. I've had a sea anchor on a Bahia 46, but don't have one now on a Catana 52. Had drogues on both boats. I have tried out drogues, but not a sea anchor, in wind.


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## danielgoldberg (Feb 9, 2008)

Dawg, I'm not sure I see how you can deploy a drogue and then go below and get some rest, or even just chill out in the cockpit. Don't you still need to sail the boat? And ini the kind of conditions that require a drogue, I would think you would need to sail the boat quite actively.

Also, I think (but don't consider myself the expert) that a properly sized sea anchor shouldn't really stress boat fittings all that much (chafe is a much different story). The boat still moves with a sea anchor, you are using very long lengths of three-strand rode with a lot of stretch, and generally it seems to me that there will be give in every way conceivable. Surely the loads on the boat are less than if you were at actual anchor considering the additional rode and the designed sliding motion of the boat. In my experience, a sea anchor is best essentially when you are having trouble heaving to, for whatever reason (in our case we have a self-tending jib and with the mast stepped so far forward heaving to is not the easiest thing to do). Retrieving them is a pain in the stern to be sure, but that would be a small price if it allows you to ride out a storm more comfortably and safely. At least that's my view.

I don't have any experience with a drogue at all, but I would be very curious to hear how you use it in practice and not still have to sail the boat. I'm not criticizing the technique, just in case that's not clear.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

The two devices are designed to accomplish two completely seperate functions. In fact, a sea anchor deployed over the stern is commonly regarded as a drogue. The USCG uses the terms sea anchor and drogue interchangably.

I would second the notion on reading all the literature available, regardless of source. Much of it, inevitably, is going to be manufacturer sponsored. Why this should be a concern in essentially a life-saving device is beyond me. many of the smaller less capable sea anchors available specify "not for storm use" in their fine print. In such an obvious liability-ridden situation it's amazing that any sea-anchor manufacturer would comment in any fashion on their use.

I'd take exception to the idea that the loading on the sea anchor will be of the shock loading variety. The sea anchor is not going to pin you in one location, as with conventional ground tackle, and while the loads will be high, they will be more steady than imagined as the conditions that warrant deployment will already be sailing the boat excessively even under bare poles.

I'd probably prefer a drogue also if I was in a cat or a tri, given their propensity to pitchpole.


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## jimmalkin (Jun 1, 2004)

There's a lot to read on the subject and I've read a good bit of it. I've also had a parachute deployed on a 46' ketch in a mess of weather and sea outbound to Antigua from Morehead City in the Gulf Stream in 1971 - my observations were constant chafe issues and bending of the sampson post. The stresses are scary. The ketch also tended to skate around at anchor in a wind so she had a good bit of forward windage which added to difficulty of keeping her angled off (ala Lin/Larry Pardy.) After that experience and several less threatening experiences, we are fitting chainplates to our quarters to accomodate a JSD for our 33,000# 50' cutter. Spent a good bit of time talking to Para T and others prior to the decision.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

It's also my understanding that one can have too large a sea-anchor, providing too much anchoring capability at the expense of strain and desirable leeway. I'd anticipate the need for beefing up a bollard or cleat as well. 15 tons of stress either by single part or bridle is a load no matter what.

Please let us know of your on-going experiences, Jim.


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

I am in the market for one or the other and having read till my eyes bled, I still dont know which way to go.
ITS ONLY SOME PAGES BUT QUITE ABIT ABOUT SEA ANCHORS towards the end.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

No, you don't have to steer when using a properly sized Jordan Series Drogue. In fact, Don Jordan, when I spoke with him said, that would defeat the whole point of the device. It is designed to keep the boat from needing to be steered, and to allow the crew to get in out of the weather and get some rest.

There is a difference, despite what Sailaway says, between a sea anchor, which is supposed to effectively stop the boat, and a drogue, which is designed to slow, but not stop the boat. A lot of the confusion comes from the fact that some people do use the terms interchangably, and some people use a small diameter parachute as a drogue, but call it a sea anchor.

One major difference, sea anchors are generally deployed from the bow of a boat, and drogues are deployed from the stern. Another major difference is that the drogue is designed to let the boat run with the storm at a controlled, manageable speed, the sea anchor is designed to stop the boat head to wind, much as it would be if the boat were actually at anchor.

The problem with shock loading and sea anchors comes from the fact that the wave motion can cause the parachute sea anchor to partially collapse or for slack to build up in the rode. When the boat is then moved by a wave, when the parachute re-fills or the rode tightens up, there is a relatively large shock load on the mounting hardware. The JSD avoids this since the JSD is made up of many small cones...and as the load comes onto the JSD, the cones react gradually, starting with the ones closest to the boat and moving along the JSD until all of the small cones are fully expanded and under load.

As for how you use a JSD in a storm... generally the JSD is in a bag or locker. The JSD is essentially a long piece of rope with a lot of small cones sewn to it. At the terminal end of the JSD is a weight, about 15 lbs. in the case of my JSD, a bit more for a larger boat. At the boat end, the JSD is attached to a bridle that is attached to the outboard sides of the transom, and the bridle is about 2.5 times the distance between the attachment points.

To deploy it.. you dump the weight into the water, and let it and the drag on the cones pull the JSD overboard. _You really have to take care to set this up properly, since once the cones are in the water, the JSD will tend to deploy itself very quickly and under a fairly significant load, with little opportunity to untangle it if it isn't feeding fairly._

When you've done that and checked the bridle to see that it is led fair and not chafing...you go down below and batten the hatches.  Ride out the storm and then when it calms down, you have the PITA task of retreiving the drogue, which is not easy.



danielgoldberg said:


> Dawg, I'm not sure I see how you can deploy a drogue and then go below and get some rest, or even just chill out in the cockpit. Don't you still need to sail the boat? And ini the kind of conditions that require a drogue, I would think you would need to sail the boat quite actively.
> 
> Also, I think (but don't consider myself the expert) that a properly sized sea anchor shouldn't really stress boat fittings all that much (chafe is a much different story). The boat still moves with a sea anchor, you are using very long lengths of three-strand rode with a lot of stretch, and generally it seems to me that there will be give in every way conceivable. Surely the loads on the boat are less than if you were at actual anchor considering the additional rode and the designed sliding motion of the boat. In my experience, a sea anchor is best essentially when you are having trouble heaving to, for whatever reason (in our case we have a self-tending jib and with the mast stepped so far forward heaving to is not the easiest thing to do). Retrieving them is a pain in the stern to be sure, but that would be a small price if it allows you to ride out a storm more comfortably and safely. At least that's my view.
> 
> I don't have any experience with a drogue at all, but I would be very curious to hear how you use it in practice and not still have to sail the boat. I'm not criticizing the technique, just in case that's not clear.


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## bobwebster (Jan 25, 2005)

A sea anchor is big and essentially stops the boat. For a 46+ catamaran it seems like it would put a lot more stress on the boat than anchoring because the anchor chain's weight acts like a shock absorber in the waves. If a wave jerks the boat really hard, the anchor chain will straighten out and absorb a lot of the shock before it is fully tight. 

This isn't true with a sea anchor on a rope. The sudden jerk of a breaking wave will be transmitted to the boat almost immediately because the rope or chain to the sea anchor is already tight. The wind and waves in a storm will put a lot more pressure on the boat than normally encountered at anchor.

Where is the strongest place to attach a sea anchor? cleats? windlass? winch? No matter where you put it, you should be able to let out a few inches of rope every so often so it will chafe in a new place. With either a drogue or a sea anchor, you can probably tie off the helm and go inside, or use the autopilot if it's available and can handle the conditions. 

A drogue, because it is smaller, will have much less pressure, maybe by a factor of 10. That's why the boat moves. The purpose of the drogue is not to stop the boat. It's to prevent surfing so one of the hulls won't dig in at the trough of a wave. Also, with some forward motion a catamaran will ride on top of the waves better because the speed of the waves relative to the boat is less.


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## EuphoriaOz (Jan 15, 2008)

You may like to check out an Australian site called Para-Anchors Australia Pty. Ltd as we have found them very helpful. We have a 40' cat and know other multihull owners who have used the above product. Good luck!


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

Should this thread be merged with the one in Seamanship?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I don't see why not...they're basically on the same subject.  And I wouldn't have to repeat myself...


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

For what its worth I just bought a Para anchor, as for the sudden shock, 400
foot of 9/16" three strand nylon I would take up any shock loading, also the para vents at shock loads of 7000lbs.


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## Plumper (Nov 21, 2007)

SimonV said:


> For what its worth I just bought a Para anchor, as for the sudden shock, 400
> foot of 9/16" three strand nylon I would take up any shock loading, also the para vents at shock loads of 7000lbs.


Doesn't nylon have something like a 50% stretch value? If it is like a climbing rope the nylon will work like a big bungee, perfect!


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

nylon has a 15-18% stretch.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

The construction of the line will affect the stretch but you can figure on nylon stretching 33% for a working load and at 40% you're at it's breaking strength in a laid or twisted line. By working load I mean the strain you can exert repeatedly and have it return to it's original length.

Dacron, or polyester line, has better abrasion resistance than nylon and it has about 80% of it's strength but it only stretches a little more than half what nylon does. For about 90% of what you do at sea those are desirable characteristics but not in a rode.


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## AceSailmakers (Jun 8, 2008)

*Spectra Jordan Series Drogues*

Ace Sailmakers has been producing Spectra Jordan Series Drogues.
Our first Spectra version was for Mr. Dashew's powerboat. 
250, two hundred fifty cones on 490' of rode, of which 75' is an integral "leader".

We have built perhaps 15 since then in Spectra. Latest ones for vessels over 40,000 loaded feature tapered ropes, the last section typically 3/8".

A recent Spectra drogue for a 48,000 loaded monohull, with Spectra bridle legs, weighed 29 lbs without weight for end. The nylon version
would have been over 80 lbs.

Lighter, more compact, easier to deploy, a bit easier to recover, more $.

Don is 92 and still working on patent pending inventions. One of which is a wingmast like spar for the headstay. He has built a model for my J-27.

Dave Pelissier


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

Thanks for the feedback from a fabricator's point of view. I think the concept is very solid if you are, as has been pointed out, actively helming on a run in Greybeard City and want to stay at or below hull speed to avoid a potential broach or worse, a pitch-pole.

Heaving to is a form of "retiring" in the sense that you do everything possible to let the seas and the boat co-operate...to a point. That point is probably where a sea anchor comes in.

What I'm getting at is that it's not an either/or: I can see good reasons to carry both devices, particularly in world cruising, where you never have just one anchor type or one way to make electricity.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Dave-

You made my JSD for me two years ago... 

The only question I'd have with a Spectra JSD is the loss of the stretch in the JSD and how it affects performance of the drogue.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

Interesting point. I gather just the line and bridle itself is Spectra and the drogues are still nylon cones?

Could not the bridle be nylon for stretch and the main drogue line be Spectra for strength? This is similar to the idea of a nylon snubber line for a chain rode.


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## beej67 (Apr 2, 2008)

After seeing this topic crop up multiple times on this forum, and doing my own research, the Jordan Series Drogue seems to me like the end-all-be-all coolest safety gear that an ocean cruiser can have. Based on the literature, I might even prioritize it over an EPIRB. The thing looks friggin cool.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

They are pretty cool...but be aware, they are a royal PITA to retrieve. 



beej67 said:


> After seeing this topic crop up multiple times on this forum, and doing my own research, the Jordan Series Drogue seems to me like the end-all-be-all coolest safety gear that an ocean cruiser can have. Based on the literature, I might even prioritize it over an EPIRB. The thing looks friggin cool.


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## beej67 (Apr 2, 2008)

I read somewhere about rigging a block to your bow, and using a line a little over twice the length of your boat, run from an aft winch through the block, back down to the drogue. Pull it up one boat length at a time. 

Yeah, does sound like a major pita, but I'd bet it'd be worth it if I was in the [email protected]#$ so much I felt I needed to deploy it.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Beej-

LOL... You're probably referring to my description of the retrieval process I use, which I posted on Sailnet a while back. 



beej67 said:


> I read somewhere about rigging a block to your bow, and using a line a little over twice the length of your boat, run from an aft winch through the block, back down to the drogue. Pull it up one boat length at a time.
> 
> Yeah, does sound like a major pita, but I'd bet it'd be worth it if I was in the [email protected]#$ so much I felt I needed to deploy it.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

My husband and I were sold on the Jordan Series Drogue, but now that we’ve done our homework we decided to purchase a heavy-duty parachute anchor. After reading the Coast Guard Report and Series website, my husband and I were under the impression the Jordan Series Drogue was Coast Guard Approved. But according to the sea anchor manufacturers this is not true. So we contacted Donald Jordan and he agreed that his drogue was not Coast Guard approved. Then we read how the series drogue test was flawed because it compared drift cone anchors to the series drogue and not a parachute sea anchor. I’ve seen Lin and Larry Pardeys’ Storm Tactics video and Zack Smith’s video on parachute type sea anchors and it seems a lot easier to handle than the series drogue. Besides, our concern is a wave crashing into the cockpit and breaking the companionway door.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

AFAIK, the USCG doesn't approve any sea anchors or drogues whatsoever. The loads a sea anchor will put on a boat are far greater than those generated by a JSD. Also, experiential data has shown that the risk of being pooped while using a JSD is minimal.

I hope you reinforce what ever hardpoints you plan on using for your parachute anchor.

BTW, from another post I wrote.



> Much of Jordan's work was done because of the Fastnet disaster. That was what prompted Jordan to design the series drogue in the first place. He also worked very closely with the USCG in the development and testing of the JSD. While the USCG doesn't approve the JSD, it certainly seems, from the document on Jordan's site, to advocate the use of them.
> 
> If you read the USCG report, the report's abstract says:
> 
> ...


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Para-anchor & Series Drogue*

My husband seems to disagree with you and he's a reading fanatic: First, the USCG has approved small sea anchors for lifeboats, but not for the larger boats. According to Earl Hinz, the Jordan Series drogue is a stern stopping drogue instead of a speed-limiting drogue like all the others. The series drogue places far greater loads on a boat than any other drogue. That's why Donald Jordon recommends reinforcing the hard points on the boat for his drogue. To be honest, it's the stopping aspect of the series drogue that concerns us, since we don't own a canoe stern boat that is capable of taking a breaking wave. Even if the odds are minimal of being pooped.

The Coast Guard does not advocate the use of the series drogue, despite what Jordon's website claims: "USCG designed heavy weather tactic-series drogue" and the "U.S. Coast Guard thinks the series drogue is better than a para-anchor in storms."

Here's what the USCG states, "&#8230;the findings in the test report are presented as the opinions of the researchers and not the opinion of the Coast Guard." And "The Coast Guard provided a convenient, low-cost test platform&#8230;" for the series drogue. It is clear the Coast Guard does not advocate the use of the series drogue or the para-anchor. Drag device tactics are simply a matter of opinion and there's no evidence to support one tactic over the other.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Actually AFAIK, Hinz is wrong. The Jordan Series drogue is a speed limiting drogue, not a stern stopping drogue. From the different testimonials I've read, it limits the speeds to about the same as a GaleRider drogue would.

Two examples from the Drag Device Database:



> D/M-20: Vessel name _Cinnabar__,_ cutter designed by Robert Perry, LOA 40' x 11 Tons. _Cinnabar_ towed a 42" dia. Galerider drogue in a gale about 75 nm NE of Bermuda in 40-knot winds and 18' seas, the owner reporting satisfactory results. The drogue was deployed to stabilize the attitude of the yacht in a wind-current conflict situation, exacerbated by severe --60-knot -- squalls. Microburst activity can't be ruled out. *The drogue was deployed for 12 hours, the yacht reported to have traveled about 12 nm in that time.*<o>
> 
> </o>D/M-22: Vessel name _Glenyon__,_ CSY cutter, LOA 44' x 23 Tons. _Glenyon__ was a participant in the _1998 Caribbean 1500_and towed a 42" _Galerider drogue_ when she ran into tropical storm __Mitch__, her owner reporting satisfactory results.* The drogue was deployed for 24 hours, the yacht traveling 25 nm in that time.*_


and a comparable example from the JSD website:



> *Rough Trip to Iceland
> 
> * Yachting Monthly Retired couple with 3 years of experience cruising their Victory 40 ketch. Voyage from England to Iceland in late May. Small depression had formed South of Iceland. By morning the wind had picked up to 45 knots and veered about 45 degrees, which produced quite confused seas. Within an hour it had increased to 55 knots gusting to 70, and occasional seas were breaking into the cockpit. At last, we thought, a chance to tryout our series drogue and see if the long hours making it had been well spent.
> 
> ...


The drift rate for the GaleRider seems to be about 1 knot or so...as does the drift rate for the Jordan Series Drogue. If Hinz hasn't gotten that point right, what else is he wrong about??

Yes, the JSD may generate higher loads than a different drogue design, but it won't generate anything close to the loads that a parachute-type sea anchor will. The bigger problem is shock loading. With a parachute type sea anchor, the parachute can collapse and suddenly re-deploy. This generates massive shock loads, especially when compared to the gradual and progressive loading that occurs with a JSD. Models and tests show that many of the parachute sea anchors are subject to doing exactly that-collapsing as the water shifts and then suddenly re-opening and loading the lines.

Further, I'd cite the following JSD use example:



> *32 ft. trimaran competing in a feeder race to Europe 1 STAR*
> "A Busy Month For The U.S. Coast Guard's Vessel Rescue Net Work"
> Port hull forward cross member had snapped- 700 miles southeast of Nantucket-gale force winds, 20 ft. seas- mast blown down - hulls smashing together.
> 
> ...


I seriously doubt that the captain and crew of that boat would have survived using a Parachute-type sea anchor.

Be aware, the Drag Device Database website and book have a vested interest in parachute-type sea anchors.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

The two devices, sea anchor and drogue, accomplish fundamentally different objectives. Either one, properly deployed in conditions of necessity, should be under a heavy load but should not be under the shock loading I believe that Dog implies. With either there is going to be a tensioning and slacking of the rode but only relative to the heavy strain the rode will be under in either case. The real enemy in either case will be chafe, again due to the strain.

The two devices handle the prospect of heaving-to in different manners and each may be more or less suitable for different designs of boats. Indeed the very definitions of the devices give a clue to their possible usage and appropriateness. The drogue is essentially a running before the seas device while the sea anchor is essentially a heaving-to device.

It seems that great strides have been made in the design and deployment of the parachute version of the sea anchor to where collapsing is no longer the issue it was in early designs made from military surplus parachutes. It's strongly advisable to follow any manufacturers recommendations regarding bridles, deck hardware, weights and swivels with any of the devices chosen.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Para-anchor & Series drogue*

Wow, you have a lot to say Sailingdog. I'm afraid my husband and I still don't agree with you. It seems every drag device manufacturer has testimonials that say how great their product performs. So why is Donald Jordon an exception?

Drogue speed reduction with the Series drogue is not the same as the Galerider as you suggest. Steve and Linda Dashew and Zack Smith conducted a drogue test on the Dashew's trawler, Windhorse. Jordon's series drogue slowed the Dashew's boat down by 3-kn and the Galerider and Fiorentino drogue slowed his boat down by 1.5 and 1.4 kn, respectively. This demonstrates how the series drogue has twice the holding power and twice the amount of load on a boat. Kimball Livingston in his Sail Magazine article basically said the same thing.

Fiorentino recommends weight placement to eliminate shock loading for the para-anchor and the Series drogue.

*You keep using the term "parachute sea anchor," but this is incorrect. There were no parachute sea anchors tested in the Jordan Coast Guard Report. Instead, Jordan compared his drogue to cone drift anchors. The Figure 8 photo in the Coast Guard Report is clearly not a parachute sea anchor. *

What's even more frustrating to us is how Jordan interchangeably uses drogue to define bow and stern deployment of a drag device.

You warn us to beware of the Drag Device Database website and book, but how do you know they have a vested interest in parachute sea anchors?

In the end, everyone is trying to sell something. We are still sold on the para-anchor.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Good advice Sailaway21.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

sailaway21 said:


> Indeed the very definitions of the devices give a clue to their possible usage and appropriateness. The drogue is essentially a running before the seas device while the sea anchor is essentially a heaving-to device.


I agree, good advice Sway.

Whilst it may be too simplistic, I believe it to be no coincidence that one is called an anchor and the other a drogue. The two are by definition different.

It was a long time ago but I clearly recall reading an article in PBO magazine (UK) and the one statement that stuck in my mind in the series drogue test was that "streaming a series drogue had the feeling of being attached to a bungie cord". To me that strongly implies that the ride is very comfortable and the boat is not "anchored"

I've never used either so JMO

Andre


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Maybe, because they sell the parachute type sea anchors off of their website.  If they had links to the all of the different drag devices, I would take them a bit more seriously, but they only link to a specific parachute sea-anchor manufacturer. That indicates, to me at least, a financial interest in the success of at least that brand.


> You warn us to beware of the Drag Device Database website and book, but how do you know they have a vested interest in parachute sea anchors?


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Drag Device Writers*

It's hard to believe what you are saying is true Sailingdog. I would think that writers and authors have some kind of ethical and moral obligation to the community to be impartial. Even if they have a financial interest with a manufacturer.

On the other hand, my husband seems to think more like you in this area. He has read the whole Drag Device Data Book and thinks it a little suspicious how the majority of the testimonials in the book are about the ParaTech brand sea anchor. We are not buying that brand anyways.

I definitely have to agree that it is not cool how Victor Shane does not link the other drag device sites as you pointed out. It just feels wrong.

I hate to switch subjects, but can you recommend a good website for used boating equipment? My husband and I are trying to gear up our Manta 42 and it's getting expensive.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I figure you an your husband have some good sense, since you're on a multihull.  Always happy to help another multihull sailor. I'd recommend going to the Good Old Boat magazine website, where they list a lot of the consignment shops. The page is *HERE*.

BTW, I've read the Drag Device Database book and website, and the fact that they don't, at least AFAICT, seem to openly disclose their relationship to ParaTech is very telling.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Drag Device Writers*

Cats are wonderful. Thank you for the used gear link!

I think your right about the Drag Device Data Book. We don't mind honest advertising tactics, but we have a problem with writers and manufacturers who are unethical. After all, this is safety gear.


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## max-on (Mar 30, 2004)

sailingdog said:


> I figure you an your husband *have some good sense, since you're on a multihull*.


What the F%$# does that mean? Is your position us sailors on monohulls do not have 'some good sense'.

I CHALLENGE YOUR POSITION, SIR!  YOUR INSULTS HAVE GONE TOO FAR!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

ROLFMAO... Any inferences you draw from my previous statement are purely your own... I am not responsible for any inferences you make. 


max-on said:


> What the F%$# does that mean? Is your position us sailors on monohulls do not have 'some good sense'.
> 
> I CHALLENGE YOUR POSITION, SIR!  YOUR INSULTS HAVE GONE TOO FAR!


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

And just what is the state of Rhode Island's position on dueling? (g)


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I don't know, but its a good thing I'm not in Rhode Island. 


sailaway21 said:


> And just what is the state of Rhode Island's position on dueling? (g)


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## funsailthekeys (May 15, 2008)

It's a good thing that you pointed out that these are intended for the open sea and not any where near shore. As you pointed out earlier a sea anchor doesnt stop you completely, there is still a small drift factor and with a drogue you can still possibly maintain 3-5 knots depending on size of drogue and wind speed. It's only to slow down.


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## mightyhorton (Dec 3, 2006)

What happens in very large breaking waves with the two different types of devices, sea anchors that hold your bow into the large breaking waves, and stern deployed JSD devices that allow you to be moving at a few knots as the large breaking wave comes at you from the stern? That may be a run on sentence.


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## AceSailmakers (Jun 8, 2008)

*Jordan Series Drogue User Account*

Hi,
A recent email from satisfied Jordan Series Drogue user.
Thanks,
Dave Pelissier
Ace Sailmakers, LLC 
3-D COLTON RD
East Lyme, CT 06333	
860 739 5999
860 739 7999 FAX

JordanSeriesDrogue.com

USHUAIA TO RESCUE
39' Westerly Sealord, SD4 built in 1984
An email from Mike C. 
Hi chaps,

you may or may not remember the will it or wont it arrive on time saga of the jordan drogue i ordered whilst in ushuaia last november (it was sent to my home address in england so's the wife could bring it out with her) , however it did arrive and boy oh boy am i glad.
There is no question about it but that jordan drogue works like a dream.
The attached is an unedited version of our story that was printed in the july 2008 issue of yachting monthly (uk).

I have been asked by a few people how i retrieved the drogue so i thought i may give you my method although i have no doubt that other people use the same.
I first tried pulling in one of the bridles by winch etc etc but that didn't work to great, i then tried using the anchor winch but that caused problems with the boat sailing from side to side and catching the droguettes, the next time i deployed the drogue i attached a polyprop line to the drogue line and then to retrieve just winched it all in over the stern. I found the centre polyprop line to be far easier to use than the bridle lines as it kept the stern central and i didnt need to release either bridle form the cleats until all the pressure was off them.
(the first time i retreived the drogue took 1 1/2 hours, once i 'd got this method sorted it took 20 minutes).
I also used floats on the bridle lines to keep them from snagging my boarding ladder and hydrovane steering sysytem.
All in all everything worked magnificently and i cannot sing the Jordan Drogues praises loud enough, many thanks Mr Jordan and many thanks Ace sailmakers, may all your wishes and dreams come true a thousand times over.

mike clelford

Brilliance left Ushuaia, Argentina, 54 49'S 68 18W, bound for Cape Town, South Africa, Saturday 15th December 2007. 2 POB 
The first port of call was Puerto Williams, 54 56S 67 37W a Chilean navy base situated approximately 25 miles east of Ushuaia on the Beagle Channel. The night of the 15th was spent alongside the old navy ship the Micalvi (known as the most southern yacht club in the world) whilst we waited for the following day to clear out of South America and then head for the Falklands.

Sunday 16th December 2007
Clear customs from Puerto Williams and head east again down the beagle channel for another 35 miles or so to an anchorage called Isla Gardiner, 55 01S 66 55W

Monday 17th December 2007
Depart Isla Gardiner 14:12z

Tuesday 18th December 2007
arrive Puerto Hoppner, Islas Estados, 54 46S 64 24W, 05:00z after a night crossing of Estrecho de la Maire, using radar for entrance as pitch black and no moon. 
Distance 95nm.
Spend 2 days in the anchorage waiting for a small depression to pass over.

Thursday 20th December 2007
1500z Depart Puerto Hoppner and head NE for the Falklands

Friday 21st December 2007
1840z 53 15S 61 34w

Saturday 22nd December 2007
1300z Anchor in Snug Cove, East Falkland, 52 11S 59 25W.
Distance 250nm 
Had to use engine most of the way as very little wind and what there was came from the NE.
Decided to anchor here for the night as although wind was finally beginning to pick up from the SW we didn't fancy the night passage up the south east coast.

Sunday 23rd December 2007
0755z Depart Snug Cove 
Arrive Stanley, 51 41S 57 52W, 2230z
Distance 70nm
Clear in with customs.

Spend Christmas and New Year in various anchorages trying to dodge the worst of the constant strong winds, change oil and filter and fill up diesel, gas and water.
Lovely time and lovely memories.

Tuesday 8th January 2008 
1310z Depart Stanley bound for Grytviken, South Georgia, 800nm+

Wednesday 9th January 2008 
1300z 51 53S 55 36W

Thursday 10th January 2008 
1430z 52 18S 54 18W

Friday 11th January 2008 
1318z 52 43S 5213W
gales were forecast for 0600z this morning but nothing as yet though the mbs are dropping quite quickly now.
1600z gales a comin storm jibs up.

Saturday 12th January 2008 
1600z 52 11S 48 58W
took a lot of water over the stern last night but we were battened down and it was all over by morning, little wind now and mb rising nicely.

Sunday 13th January 2008 
1343z 52 52S 46 31W

Monday 14th January 2008 
1344z 52 32S 43 52W

Tuesday 15th January 2008 
1000z first sighting of ice bergs
1330z 53 13S 40 57W
995mb and dropping, another blow on the way.
2100z hove to.

Wednesday 16th January 2008 
1130z begin sailing again.
1330z 53 37s 39 17W
1335z starboard lower shroud breaks away, saddle at deck plate snapped, use ropes to try to secure but they keep on snapping as the forces are too great, eventually manage to use shackles.

Thursday 17th January 2008 
0700z Arrive Elsehul, South Georgia, 54 01S 37 57W.
Distance 734nm 9 days

Friday 18th January 2008 
At anchor Elsehul
Shower day and pyjama day.

Saturday 19th January 2008 
Depart Elsehul 0945
Arrive Blue Whale Harbour 1950z 54 04S 37 01W

Sunday 20th January 2008 
Depart Blue Whale Harbour 1300z
Arrive Jason Harbour 2030z 54 12S 36 35W

Monday 21st January 2008
Depart Jason Harbour 1100z
Arrive Grytviken 1400z 54 16S 36 30W

Whilst in Grytviken I replaced the starboard shroud saddle, checked all the other deck fittings and climbed the mast to check all rigging and attachments aloft. All ok.

A small but vital part on the hydrovane wind steering system broke during a blow whilst we were moored at the dock, the nice engineer at the Antarctic survey base offered to make a new one if we would do some painting in return, we were more than happy to oblige, it saved us many days and expense waiting for a new one from England.

Tuesday 29th January 2008 
Depart Grytviken 1300z bound for Cape Town, South Africa, 2600nm+
Good wind from SW, 989mb and heading north to clear Antarctic convergence zone.
Dodging ice bergs.

Wednesday 30th January 2008 
1330z 52 33S 35 32W SW, 993mb
still dodging icebergs

Thursday 31st January 2008 
1250z 5115S 34 44W SW, 993mb
still dodging ice bergs

Friday 1st February 2008 
1430z 49 25S 33 58W NW, 1002mb
notice a low developing on grib files so as the evening darkens decide to heave to for the night.
Not seen any ice today.

Saturday 2nd February 2008 
1158z 48 50S 32 24W SW8+, 994mb
hove to all last night, launched Jordan Drogue at 1000z this morning, even with drogue out still moving NE at 3-4kts.
1700z Drogue brought in.
storm jib set for evening, heading E.

Sunday 3rd February 2008 
1750z 47 57S 30 17W SE5+, 987mb due to start rising by 0000z
heading N.

Monday 4th February 2008 
0255z 47 21S 30 08W little wind 989mb
Engine on to keep heading N as quick as possible and its lovely to be able to have the heater on and look forward to having a hot shower.
1000z NW2-3, 993mb,
Engine off, main and genoa out, lovely sailing.

Tuesday 5th February 2008 
1400z 46 01S 29 00W N 986mb
heading ENE

Wednesday 6th February 2008 
1340z 44 58S 28 25W W5, 1000mb
heading NE

Thursday 7th February 2008 
0845z 43 52S 27 34W, N5-6 increasing, 1009mb
heading SE, pressure due to continue to drop all day.
1610z 1002mb NW7-8+ Jordan Drogue deployed.
1730z aerogen wind generator complete blade assembly blown off.
(there is a bolt that holds the assembly onto the shaft, because of the wind strength I can easily uderstand the bolt becoming loose even though I had used loctite on it but there is also a pretty heavy duty spring clip on the end of the shaft and I cannot imagine the force involved to dislodge that, its difficult enough using the proper tool)
2200z 999mb NW8+

Friday 8th February 2008 
0500z 44 08S 26 35W W8+ 1001mb
2100z 44 05S 25 54W W7-8 1009mb

Saturday 9th February 2008 
0100z 44 03S 25 45W NW6-7 1011mb
0900z 43 58S 25 30W W5 1016mb
1411z 43 54S 25 22W W3-4 1019mb
1500z Drogue recovered.

Sunday 10th February 2008 
1000z 43 02S 24 07W W3-4 1017mb
1500z 43 00S 23 40W NW6-7+ 1015mb
Jordan Drogue deployed.
1800z 43 04s 23 40W W 8+ 1011mb

Monday 11th February 2008 
0530z 43 24S 23 09W W8+ 1000mb
0935z 43 31S 22 60W 998mb
1309z 43 33s 22 51W 999mb
1630z Drogue recovered.

Tuesday 12th February 2008
0430z Jordan drogue deployed
0512z 43 05S 2217W S8+ 1002mb
1112z 42 50S 22 21W 1017mb
1647z 42 44S 22 25W 1022mb

Wednesday 13th February 2008
0640z 42 27W 22 17W SW5-6 1028mb
wind decreased considerably, went on deck to recover Dogue.
Swell and seas too confused for recovery so went below to wait awhile, within 2 minutes of going below there was a loud bang, on deck the D part of the lower starboard rigging deck plate had sheared at the bolts and the starboard lower shroud was whipping back and forth like a viper on steroids. I quickly attached the spinnaker pole topping lift to the centre cleat and tried to tie the swinging shrouds bottle screw with ropes to same but the ropes kept breaking as soon as a new one was tied, iris went below and got the spare shackles bag. This whole new nightmare was a replay of a couple of weeks ago except this time the deck plate had gone and there was nowhere to attach the shroud to. The mast was now bending like a deranged banana and jumping up and down off the deck with me holding on to the shroud for all I was worth, the motion of the boat wasn't helping as each time it rolled to starboard I was slowly rolling off the side of the boat, although I had clipped myself on I was still getting very close to a salt water bath. Iris was able to hand me the largest shackle which I attached to the saddle of the swinging shroud and then with lucky timing and numerous attempts I was able to attach this to the cap shroud deckplate. The shroud was now temporarily secured but for how long was anybodys guess, because of the angles of attachment it would constantly be under stress. I also attached the spinaker pole topping lift to this point as the centre cleat was starting to bulge out of the deck (cleats are designed for horizontal forces not vertical), for now, things were secure.
We both sat in the cockpit looking up at the mast which had taken on a strange twisted bendy look and were very grateful it had at least happened at a time when we could see what we were doing.
Then we noticed that just where the shroud attached to the mast it was beginning to shred the wires, I considered trying to climb the mast and wrap ropes around the spreaders and back down to the deck but apart from the practical difficulty of that particlular manouvere there was nothing strong enough to tie them to on the deck anyway. 
I went to each shroud and stay attachment and straightened the split pins so they would be easier to pull out, we readied the bolt cutters, hacksaw and honda generator/electric grinder, iris cut all the sheets and halyards at the mast and in the cockpit, when the mast goes we may at least have a chance of it going straight over with as little input as possible from ourselves. 
The next problem would be, no mast, no comunication as that's where the SSB aeriel is attached. 
If a mast breaks or goes over the side of a boat that's bad, but if, as is very possible, it goes over the side and puts a hole in the side or hull of the boat, that's very very bad (this is a plastic/grp boat). 
After an hour or more of sitting in the cockpit and watching the mast with bated breath every time the boat rolled on its sides (the winds had died down considerably by this time but the swell was still huge and the waves were very confused) we had debated all the possibilties and unknowns we could think of. As we were smack bang in the middle of the South Atlantic we did not expect any help or rescue but we did want to at least let our predicament be known (so family would know where we went down) and so with a feeling of embarrasment, sadness and emptiness in our stomachs we activated the Electronic Positioning Radio Beacon.
We also tried to call on all the distress frequencies using hf radio but had no luck with any contact. Fortunately I had an email facility (SAILMAIL) using hf radio, digital transmissions tend to be far stronger than voice transmission so I looked up the email address of Falmouth Coastguard and sent a mayday by email. The only problem with this type of communication is it generally takes about 1.5 hrs to receive a reply, I have to send the email to a shore station which then sends it on to the receiving station who then replies to the shore station who then sends it back to the ship.
The mayday was sent at 1146z 
MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
SAILING YACHT BRILLIANCE
CALL SIGN MEVV5
POSITION 42 26S 022 14W SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
2 POB
39FT WHITE HULL
AT PRESENT STILL WITH BOAT WE WERE HEADING FOR SOUTH AFRICA SO IN A NE DIRECTION, BUT ARE NOW USING A JORDAN SERIES DROGUE AND SO ARE BEING TRACKED SUBJECT TO WIND AND WAVES WHICH FORTUNATELY AT PRESENT IS STILL NE
EPIRB ACTIVATED
MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY
MAY SOON LOSE MAST AND SO WILL ALSO LOSE ABILITY TO COMUNICATE.

Reply received 1405z

MAYDAY -Yacht BRILLIANCE - M E V V 5
THIS IS FALMOUTH COASTGUARD
We have received your distress message & an EPIRB activation alert.
All details have been passed to Argentina in whose rescue area your position is.
We are speaking to UK authorities in the Falklands to see if there are any assets that can assist.
We will continue to speak to all authorities in an effort to assist you.
What comms do you have on board, including satphone details ?
What lifesaving apparatus do you have on board ?
What are your intentions?
What are your weather conditions?
Falmouth Coastguard
+ 44 1326 317575

Sent 1506z

ssb radio but not for long as mast about to collapse i have jury rigged as best i can and am continually assessing anything else i can do to save it but it is gonna come down sooner or later
vhf radio plus handset
liferaft, flares.
intend to stay on boat as long as possible the only problem is when the mast goes it may put a hole through her grp, ive tried to get things ready to cut away but its not an exact science.
this email connection is very poor as i have to rely on propogation and nobody else being on the freq. please contact sailmail and tell them the situation or they may cut me off anytime as i will be using to much of their airtime.
i lose this facility also when the mast falls down. 
do you have a ssb voice frequency i can use?
the emails generally take about 1.5 hrs to go back and forth as it is sent via hf radio.
wx sw4/5 mod sea

ps. we have the castle beach cafe just below falmouth cg so bacon butties all round if we get out of this one and are open for the summer.

Received 1722z

Mayday Yacht BRILLIANCE M E V V 5.
This is Falmouth Coastguard.
We are receiving updates on your position from the EPIRB.
The Tanker WAFRAH C6VX6 is proceeding to your assistance eta 24-28 Hours.
The Tanker will use VHF radio CH 16 - to call when close to your position, ensure you keep your handheld radio with you if it is necessary to abandon 
but stay with your vessel for as long as is possible.
Meanwhile to use SSB radio call; 
TAUPO Radio ( New Zealand) callsign Z L M on frequencies 8291 mHz, 12290 mhz, 16420 mHz.
or Cape Town Radio who are listening on frequency 4125 kHz & respond on 4417Khz or listen 8255kHz & respond on 8779Khz.
They also maintain a distress watch on 12290 Khz 
Either will relay any information to us at Falmouth. This can be used for routine calling to establish contact or if the situation deteriorates.
Could we also have the details of your liferaft - colour, size, canopy ? ballast pockets?

MRCC Falmouth

Sent 1821z

many thanks for the info.

i had already been trying those frequencies all to no avail but i am very grateful that your email confirms that at least i had the correct frequencies set.
the liferaft is a zodiac, black hull with orange canopy, 6 man, water ballast pockets, though we will try to load it with as much weight as possible to stabilize it as there are only 2 of us.
i am not sure how long the battery will last on the epirb, its a tron 40s, should i turn it off and then turn it on every hour for 5 minutes or so, maybe that would save the battery? we should maintain our present drift as the wx is predicted to remain same for a day or 2.
if all else fails thanks for trying
mike and iris

sy brilliance

From Argentine Coast Guard received 2025z

----- Original Message ----- 
From: AGENCIA SAR 
To: 
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 4:39 PM
Subject: SAR ARGENTINE
FORD YOUR INFORMATION YOU ARE ARGENTINE SEARCH AND RESCUE RESPONSABILITY WE PROCEED IN YOUR HELP. IN RED SAME INFORMATIED ABOUT GPS POSITION AND REQUEST WEATHER CONDITION IN ZONE. TANK VESSEL IS GOING IN YOUR HELP.

Falmouth CG received 2029z

MAYDAY Yacht BRILLIANCE
This is Falmouth Coastguard.
Leave the EPIRB activating as it provides an accurate updated position. The battery should last for a minimum 72 hours. 
The Captain of the WAFRAH is updated on the situation, he is preparing the crew & equipment for recovery. 
The Captain is British so comms, when he passes instructions to recover you, will be no problems.
The ETA of the WAFRAH at your position is 1800UTC on 14 Feb.
Have passports and documents ready to go with you. Next port is Longbeach California. 
Stay positive, assistance is on its way.
Regards
Duty officer MRCC Falmouth

Sent 2038z

many thanks again for the info.
thanks to you we have hope.
mike n iris

sy brilliance

Sent 2051z

i have received this email from the argentine sar but i do not understand what they want from me, please advise, though i do not think i will be able to receive email much longer.
<----- Original Message ----- 
From: AGENCIA SAR 
To: 
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 4:39 PM
Subject: SAR ARGENTINE
FORD YOUR INFORMATION YOU ARE ARGENTINE SEARCH AND RESCUE RESPONSABILITY WE PROCEED IN YOUR HELP. IN RED SAME INFORMATIED ABOUT GPS POSITION AND REQUEST WEATHER CONDITION IN ZONE. TANK VESSEL IS GOING IN YOUR HELP.

Received 2302z

Received your last email.
MRCC Argentina now have co-ordination of this MAYDAY. They request the present weather conditions. 
MT WAFRAH is proceeding to you, ETA 141900UTC.
Leave your EPIRB ON - it will help to locate your vessel.
If you need to abandon to your liferaft, take the EPIRB with you and a portable radio. Also try to send a final message via email.
Good luck
Duty Officer
MRCC Falmouth

Thursday 14th February 2008 
0840z 42 10S 21 54W W3-4 1027mb
1110z 42 08S 21 49W W3-4 1027mb

Received 1136z 14th Feb

Good morning,
1. MT WAFRAH is still proceeding to your position at 17kts. Request an update on your situation including your latest position and weather conditions. I am able to confirm that your EPIRB is working well.
Best regards
MRCC Falmouth

Sent 1221z

14th feb 1148z
good morning, 
hf reception very poor this morning.
pos: 42 07s 021 48w
wx: 1027mb, sw 3/4, mod sea.
amazingly still have mast, fortunate because of relativey calm wx, 
basically shaken but not yet stirred
all well aboard
mike n iris

1330z 42 04S 021 45W W3-4 1027mb

1330z The next communication we heard was over the vhf radio, it was the tanker WAFRAH and they were calling another ship whos name we couldn't make out, it was surprising we heard them at all as they were still 60nm away and our vhf aeriel had been blown away.
1620z spoke to WAFRAH who advised us that another ship PAN VOYAGER was also on its way
1720z 42 00S 021 45W W3-4 1026mb
1749z vhf contact made with Pan Voyager, ETA 1hr.
1811z PAN VOYAGER in sight, 8nm west.
The sight of PAN VOYAGER brought a mixture of emotions, we were relieved that help was at hand but deeply saddened that we would be leaving BRILLIANCE, to all appearances there was nothing wrong with her, but a cursory inspection of the rigging showed that the starboard lower shroud was hanging on by a thread, spider webs were appearing around all the deck plates and every now and then a sharp, heart stopping, cracking sound could be heard. It was amazing that the mast had stayed up for so long, we had been very very fortunate with the weather/wind for the past 35 hours, whilst there was still a 4-5 meter swell the confused seas had died down the rolling motion had eased considerably and the decks were no longer awash though the mast was still lifting from the deck every now and then.
1930z PAN VOYAGER hove to and BRILLIANCE motored up to a ladder that had been thrown over the side, we had prepared a couple of grab bags with basics in case we had to take to the liferaft and these were hoisted up by the crew above us, then Iris had to make a leap for the ladder only to find that during the time from when she left BRILLIANCE the swell had dropped about 14 feet and she was hanging on for dear life, within the next 10 seconds BRILLIANCE was coming back up towards her like a 
ballistic missile, the entire crew above had covered their eyes and my heart stopped as Iris deftly stepped back aboard BRILLIANCE like someone stepping off a high speed train without a care in the world. Another 2 heart stopping attempts were made before she finally made it and clambered up to the deck above.
Then came the real heartbreak, I went below switched off the EPIRB, cut open all the sea water pipe inlets and opened the seacocks, with seawater gushing in I took a last look around at my dear ship and wondered if I had really done all I could to save her. The answer is yes, the mast could not of stood up to any more violent rolling and another storm was on its way, if I didn't leave the ship now then it wouldn't be long before I didn't have a choice, we were slap bang in the middle of the South Atlantic ocean and a lot of people had gone to a lot of trouble to come and get us. There was nowhere for me to tie any ropes to to keep the mast up and obvious signs of wear and tear were becoming more apparent every minute. I closed up the hatches stood once more at the wheel to steer her into the PAN VOYAGER then made a mad dash out of the cockpit and leapt over the guardrail as the swell took her up to what I hoped was the highest point on the ladder, it seemed to work as I soon found myself being hauled up on deck by many helping hands.

Post.
I haven't mentioned in the log the countless times we were pooped or the countless times we were knocked down, reason being is it happened so often it stopped becoming a novelty. The wind speeds mentioned were taken from grib files of the time as my anenometer had blown off years ago, I would estimate/know they were considerably higher than stated.

The liferaft had been serviced in Ushuaia and already had flares, water, torch, mirror, radar reflector, medical kit and emergency thermal blankets in it but we made up two grab bags with items rated for importance.

1st bag (waterproof), all extra flares, 2 thermal blankets, 2L water, handheld gps, binoculars, 2 toilet rolls (the wifes idea), fishing line and lures, survival handbook (if nothing else it would be something to read), 2 tins heinz baked beans, 2 tins ham. There was no significance to the amount of food, it was all we could fit in, if we had to abandon to the liferaft I doubt we would of lived long enough to of eaten it anyway.

2nd bag (large laundry bag) clothes, 4L water, 4 tins baked beans, 2 tins ham. 4 books.

Fortunatley we didn't need the 1st bag but it was handy to be able to take the 2nd bag on to the Pan Voyager.

In our pockets we carried handheld vhf, compass, passports.

As a pilot I always used to walk around the aircraft and check that everything worked and was screwed or bolted on as it should be, fuel was good, engine was good, oil was good, radios and electrics all good.
I do exactly the same with a boat but sometimes bad things happen and when they do it helps if, when on passage, you always have your toolbox and all spares/shackles/splitpins/hoseclips etc. easily accessible, if things go wrong you don't have time to rummage around under the bunk and you wont be entertaining guests so sitting on a screwdriver wont be a problem.

I normally sail singlehanded and so try to be ready for any thing. My wife Iris was with me on this voyage ostensibly because she 'said' she wanted to visit South Georgia (she later told me she had a bad feeling about the trip when I first mentioned it last year and didn't want me to be on my own) I would not of managed without her, she kept a cool head and great presence of mind all through the experience.

To all the people involved, Coast Guards, Wafrah, Pan Voyager, Sailmail, I could not, in a million years, convey enough thank yous.

I am now looking for another boat to continue the journey, most people think the forestay is the most likely to break and so fit an emegency forestay, as I had, (the westerly also has a baby stay), but after this experience i will make sure the next boat has at least 2 lowers each side. 
I will never leave a port without a Jordan series drogue either.

Brilliance was a 39' Westerly Sealord, SD4 built in 1984, I had owned her since 1995.
All new rigging in '97, a new starboard lower shroud had also been fitted in 2002.

If you have any questions that arise from this article please contact yachting monthly and I will answer them in the next issue.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Thanks for the post Dave... Interesting reading. Too bad they had to scuttle the boat.


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## imagine2frolic (Aug 7, 2008)

Welcome to Maxing Out

Here's a good read from a family that has been there, and done it!


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## mightyhorton (Dec 3, 2006)

Here is the answer to my own question about big breaking waves:

Jordan Series Drogue - Wave Science

Another bit on the Jordan website about anchoring backwards!

Jordan Series Drogue - Mooring and Anchoring

I have no financial interest in anything related to Jordan Series Drogues...... They do make a lot of sense in their explanations.

Ian


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Here's an interesting point that Zack Smith makes about the Jordon Series Drogue in Sail Magazine.

In the May 2008 edition of "What a Drag," Kimball Livingston makes strong claims concerning the utilization of extensive Coast Guard testing in the Series Drogue Report, however these performance declarations on drogues and parachute anchors warrant further investigation

Donald Jordan, who authored the Series Drogue Report in 1987, did not compare his drogue design with drag devices commercially available to sailboat cruisers during the 1980’s. Performance characteristics of Jordon's drogue design were compared with an obsolete, traditional cone-style drogue manufactured with out-dated materials not commonly used by competing manufacturers at the time, such as Dan Shewmon or Para-Tech engineering. Without a proper product comparison, with up-to-date equipment, the degree of error is too high for the proposed measured statistics to be valid for cone- and parachute-type drogue models as listed in the report.

Modern instructions on proper parachute anchor deployment were unheeded in Jordan’s tests, particularly those concerning weight management. Weight placement on the parachute or rode is essential to remove slack to prevent a boat from falling beam to the seas. Jordon's report does draw reference to the importance of weight for the success of his series drogues, however its inclusion is not specific to Jordan's designs; weight incorporation is common practice and has been employed in the majority of drogues and parachute sea anchors for the past several decades. This is something not clearly emphasized in the report. 

It is important to note that these oversights do not negate the entirety of the Jordon report. Observations in every report help lay the foundation for our field's base information and facilitate the need to conduct further research. Obtaining a broad spectrum of up-to-date technical knowledge is key to successful product advancement and insightful development reports.

As an offshore sailor, I recommend choosing a product that you are more likely to deploy—drogue or parachute. Apart from personal preference, it is best to compare ease of use, component strength, and reliability between leading products. If the product breaks, needs to be cut loose, or requires a lengthy setup, it is not going to be of much use, especially in a life-threatening situation.


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## Ilenart (Jul 23, 2007)

Marshy,

the fifth edition of _Heavy Weather Sailing_ (Adlard Coles / Peter Bruce) includes a chapter on drag devices. It documents some trials undertaken between 1996 & 1998. It is pretty comprehensive utilising four different yachts and covered parachute sea anchors, series drogue, galerider, an old car tyre, a sail, etc, etc.

Unfortunately the conclusion was...it depends. No one device was best, it really depends on the circumstances, how severe the weather is, how much drag you want, etc. They did suggest that in really bad conditions (plus force 10?) facing bow into the seas maybe better (either hove too, under power or lying to a sea anchor) to avoid pooping, becoming unsteerable or pitchpoling.

Worth a read if you are interested in the subject.

Ilenart


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Ilernet, 

I have to agree. It depends... So maybe personal preference should be the determining factor for everyone. We could buy another heavy weather book as you suggest, but the Jordan Series Drogue will never be an option for us. Para-Tech and Fiorentino offered us straight information. My husband decided on the Fiorentino, because he liked it better.


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