# Video of Jordan Series Drogue deployment...



## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

Here is a video of a Jordan Series Drogue deployment on a Brent Swain designed steel boat (yes our Brent Swain) off the coast of Chile.

windy days on Vimeo

It's pretty interesting to see how the boat goes from starting to surf with the waves, to having the waves pass under the transom. You can really see the aft buoyancy of the boat working to raise the cockpit out of harm's way from the waves.

Note the extra line that is rolling hitched outboard of the bridle legs. That's a retrieval line that he used, apparently to great effect. The couple said they found the motion so comfortable, and the deployment _and retrieval_ so easy that they plan to use the JSD is moderate conditions and not just severe or survival ones.

MedSailor


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## Rockter (Sep 11, 2006)

It looks a good system. How do you anchor it to the deck though? In a storm, the forces will be terrible and I would worry about the forces on the deck fittings. Perhaps it needs dedicated through-hull anchor points and backing plates?


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I want one.


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## Irunbird (Aug 10, 2008)

Rockter said:


> It looks a good system. How do you anchor it to the deck though? In a storm, the forces will be terrible and I would worry about the forces on the deck fittings. Perhaps it needs dedicated through-hull anchor points and backing plates?


From Jordanseriesdrogue.com -

Attachments on the Hull 
The hull attachments for the drogue should be as far outboard and as far aft as possible. I have no information on the ultimate strength of a typical sheet winch installation, and it would be difficult to evaluate each structure. Unfortunately, a winch is not an ideal structure, since the load is applied above the deck line and tends to overturn the winch and pull it out. The optimum attachment for the drogue is clearly a strap similar to a chainplate, bolted to the hull at the corners of the transom and extending aft with a shackle.

For a load of 14,000 lbs, a strap ¼ x 2.25 x 18 inches attached with six 3/8 bolts would provide a conservative design.

A large steel cleat would be acceptable if the deck is thick solid fiberglass and a steel plate is provided underneath.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

There are a couple things I looked at with some concern. First and foremost, the winds, while they were moderately high, they did not seem to produce wave heights that would have been threatening for a boat of that size. Therefore, the waves passed harmlessly beneath the stern without coming over the stern and entering the cockpit. Had the winds been, say, 45 to 50 knots, I suspect deploying the drogue could have caused sufficient slowing of the boat to send waves into the cockpit.

Additionally, they seemed to be sailing in the same direction as the storm front, and it appeared as if they were making a fair amount of speed with just a storm jib. While I have, admittedly, absolutely NO bluewater sailing experience, I have researched the subject extensively over the past three years. From nearly everything I've read it is foolish to run with a storm, or to attempt to outrun a storm. If you're running with the storm you are essentially extending the time you will be exposed to those conditions by a significant margin. Trying to outrun the storm is nearly impossible, and pretty much accomplishes the same as running with the storm--you'll just get the hell beat out of you and your crew.

Now, I wonder how that same boat would fare if the drogue were deployed from the bow with a harness while hove to? From what I've read I would tend to believe that this would be a far safer option in storm conditions. Under those circumstances you could spend the night comfortably, but very slowly drifting, thereby allowing the storm to pass over you and when conditions improve, sail on to your destination.

Just a though,

Gary


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

travlineasy said:


> There are a couple things I looked at with some concern. First and foremost, the winds, while they were moderately high, they did not seem to produce wave heights that would have been threatening for a boat of that size. Therefore, the waves passed harmlessly beneath the stern without coming over the stern and entering the cockpit. Had the winds been, say, 45 to 50 knots, I suspect deploying the drogue could have caused sufficient slowing of the boat to send waves into the cockpit.
> 
> Additionally, they seemed to be sailing in the same direction as the storm front, and it appeared as if they were making a fair amount of speed with just a storm jib. While I have, admittedly, absolutely NO bluewater sailing experience, I have researched the subject extensively over the past three years. From nearly everything I've read it is foolish to run with a storm, or to attempt to outrun a storm. If you're running with the storm you are essentially extending the time you will be exposed to those conditions by a significant margin. Trying to outrun the storm is nearly impossible, and pretty much accomplishes the same as running with the storm--you'll just get the hell beat out of you and your crew.
> 
> ...


I used to think exactly the same thing, and I still believe that running before a storm Motessier style, or towing traditional drogues, is a tactic to be used by IOR boats with big race crews that don't have any other option.

The JSD is actually a completely different storm tactic than the usual running before a storm with a drogue. It is more of a hybrid of running before and a parachute sea anchor. It is most like a parachute, but instead of STOPPING the boat, the boat's speed is slowed to about 2.5knots through the water and the boat is not shock-loaded nearly as much as the wave passes under the boat. It really is different.

The coast guard tested, and was sold on the concept:
http://www.jordanseriesdrogue.com/pdf/droguecoastguardreport.pdf
Beth and Evans also have great info on their webite.

MedSailor


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Thanks for the link. I'll download it when I get back from working on my boat today and give it a read tonight.

Gary


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

> Additionally, they seemed to be sailing in the same direction as the storm front, and it appeared as if they were making a fair amount of speed with just a storm jib. While I have, admittedly, absolutely NO bluewater sailing experience, I have researched the subject extensively over the past three years. From nearly everything I've read it is foolish to run with a storm, or to attempt to outrun a storm. If you're running with the storm you are essentially extending the time you will be exposed to those conditions by a significant margin. Trying to outrun the storm is nearly impossible, and pretty much accomplishes the same as running with the storm--you'll just get the hell beat out of you and your crew.


Presumably, there is an advantage here with the JSD, in that, it can be launched and recovered easly enough to deploy to eat lunch (lunch launch). Maybe this would also would be more of a problem in 50kt winds.

Also, if the winds are going in the direction they want to go, it is nice to keep going that direction. The storm will pass a little faster with the JSD that if they were going hull speed down wind. No idea what the weather was like out there, but, they might have expected one storm after another, so, it wouldn't really help to stop to let it pass.

Let's see if we can get someone from Practical Sailor to go out in the next tropical storm with a few drag devices.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

Still seems like a pain in the butt compared to heaving-to.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

It's my understanding that the major downside for the JSD is retrieval. I watched the vid a couple of days ago. I don't recall them actually showing the retrieval in real time. I have heard it can take hours.


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

OK, someone has to be the person to open their pie hole, might as well be me;

How does the MOD drill work with the drogue deployed? Considering storm conditions and I don't see any tethers or PFDs?

Did I miss something? Please put me in my place if I'm wrong.

p.s. I like the video very much.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

RobGallagher said:


> How does the MOD drill work with the drogue deployed? Considering storm conditions and I don't see any tethers or PFDs?


Nowhere in the JSD manual does it say "Do not wear tethers or PFDs while using the JSD."


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## larrytwo (Aug 31, 2011)

I've used knotted lines as a drogue in the past... same idea i guess.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

There have been some great discussions on the JSD here:

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gener...ed/53639-don-jordan-jordan-series-drogue.html

and

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/seamanship/48237-heavy-weather-sailing.html

I was very skeptical early on...concerned about pooping and potential rudder damage with the stern-on orientation. But, I've since been persuaded that the JSD definitely rocks...via Jeanne Socrates' use in her run around Cape Horn and in the video above.

I still would love to see a video of the retrieval though (e.g. - how their retrieval line above worked).


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

I've been told it is dangerous to stand behind tow lines. Is there any fear of a line breaking on the JSD and snapping back into the cockpit?


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I wouldn't think the line snapping would be a problem, even if the break occurred relatively close to the bridle, especially if there were still some segment of the drogue in the water. 

My major concern would be a wave coming over the stern and into the cockpit, which has occurred in the past with drogues deployed from the stern. Having witnessed a wave coming over the stern of a boat first hand, I wouldn't want this to happen to me. The boat didn't sink, but it came very close to going down, the cabin was rapidly flooded as was the engine compartment. Fortunately, the boat was quickly turned into the wind before the next wave struck, the bow kicked up violently, and the water in the cockpit rolled over the boat's low transom. This happened in Chesapeake Bay last year just a mile or two above Pooles Island during a brief, but powerful thunderstorm.

Now, in the above situation, it was a powerboat, but I would think the same rules apply. I'm still reading the above posted link and I'll make further comments when I'm finished perusing the text.

Good subject,

Gary


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## smurphny (Feb 20, 2009)

With all the discussion about drogues lately, decided to sew up a parabolic type drogue last week. Will be interesting to try it out. Built out of seat belt webbing for just a few bucks.


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

AdamLein said:


> Nowhere in the JSD manual does it say "Do not wear tethers or PFDs while using the JSD."


I was being a wise ass...sorry...
My observation was;
If the person in the video who is walking on deck with no harness/tether or visible PFD went over the side, having a drogue deployed might complicate getting her back on board.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

RobGallagher said:


> I was being a wise ass...sorry...
> My observation was;
> If the person in the video who is walking on deck with no harness/tether or visible PFD went over the side, *having a drogue deployed might complicate getting her back on board.*


See also: Thread titled "What sailing knife do you use" for a solution the the above problem. 
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/general-discussion-sailing-related/84928-what-sailing-knife-do-you-use.html

MedSailor


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

Minnewaska said:


> It's my understanding that the major downside for the JSD is retrieval. I watched the vid a couple of days ago. I don't recall them actually showing the retrieval in real time. I have heard it can take hours.


The makers of the video said it was quite easy: see text below. I think their addition of the retrieval line to the bridle made a difference. The JSD, like a parachute IS usually a PITA to retrieve, but it's for use when other options fail. Perhaps their retrieval line will make the JSD something that is not only for "when everything else fails."

Adamlein, I agree that this is much more complex, expensive and PITA than heaving-to. Many IOR era boats don't heave to for squat though. Also, heaving-to usually requires sails or a drag device. If your sails are blown our, or your halyard malfunctions, or your mast is down, the drogue devices are your best bet as a last resort. Since I have a traditional full keel and a ketch rig, heaving-to will be the first tactic that I try, and the one I will get to practice with the most. I will, however, take a JSD with me for if the mizzen is not an option, and just for another card to play. After all, there really is no such thing as "practice" in true survival storms. For that reason I plan to take a regular drogue with me, in addition the the JSD, (even though the regular drogue and running before is a tactic that I don't think would suit my situation). In the big storms, it's always for keeps, so I think it pays to have options.

MedSailor

PS I love the home made gale-rider. I might have to make one myself 

From the poster of the video:
R_e: Series drogue attachment

Postby silascrosby » Sat Apr 30, 2011 2:16 pm
I was able to deploy a Series Drogue twice on a recent trip from Easter Is. to Valdivia ,Chile. It is an excellent piece of gear. 124 cones from a Sailrite kit.

The attachment on my boat , a 36' steel built to a Brent Swain design aka Louis Riel , is to 1/2" SS chain plates that I welded on edge to the top of SS samson posts that are welded to and through the deck onto the hull. The large galv thimbles in the bridle are shackled to the chainplates. There was no chafe. If there had been I would expect failure very quickly. Lots of movement , stretching ,pitching and some yawing (too much gear windage on our boat).
Even in the relatively moderate conditions we experienced , the load on the gear was big. The bridle lines came bar taut and water squirted out of the rope.

The conditions on the first deployment were 35 -40 knots with steep breaking seas. No risk of pitchpoling but certainly of knockdown. We slowed from 6k with no sail up to 2.5k with the drogue out. Had a good night's sleep

It was easy to deploy and really quite easy to retrieve. I had tied on a 30' piece of line from the boat to the outboard end of the bridle to help retrieve. The retrieval took about 20 minutes in 12' seas and 15 - 20 k wind.

Because it was so easy the first time, we deployed it a second time just a day away from arrival in Valdivia when a very energetic front passed over us. The baro went from 1015mb to 985 in about 18 hrs. It blew hard. A lot of tree and other damage ashore , 70 miles away. However it didn't last more than 2 hrs and we retrieved the drogue this time in 25 - 30 knots of wind , again surprisingly easy. I had forgotten to tie on the retrieval line ,but a series of rolling hitches added about 10 minutes to the process.

Brent has suggested using the bridle line in some situations to make the bridle asymmetrical which would present the stern at an angle and reduce rolling. In our case the rolling became uncomfortable when the wind backed off in the wee hours of the morning.
The edges of the fabric cone are now a little frayed so I will now heatseal with a solder gun , another good winter project by the heater.

This JSD will be something I will use in much less than survival conditions, as well as in more severe
conditions.

We were able to get some video of the deployment which will go onto our website when editing is done.
Steve
_


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I just finished reading the test results posted earlier in this thread. It's a slow, boring read for most folks, but it's important information. First and foremost, most of the testing was done with scale models in test tanks. I couldn't find a single instance of real-world tests being conducted and reported.

Next, some of the statements made in the text were misleading to say the least. Particularly when they referred to heaving to and lying ahull to survive a storm. They claimed both methods were comparable, which is definitely not the case, and that capsizes were frequently reported while hove to, which is absolutely not true.

Nowhere in the text could I find anything about retrieval of the drogues, but I have found information in several books about this, all of which said was painfully slow, very strenuous, and often took half a day to retrieve 300 feet of drogue with small chutes.

They did report lots of problems with entanglement, which is also reported in other publications. Additionally, they reported less problems with entanglement using a standard parachute, also reported by Pardy in his books on Storm Tactics.

In the report they claimed that most of the boats that capsize are smaller craft measuring under 60-feet. Of course, that's what anyone with the mental intellect of a turnip would have concluded--even without the test. However, while hove to, Pardy's tiny 26-footer never came close to capsizing, it didn't take any breaking waves over the side, while in the same storm many larger boats trying to run on bare poles were either sunk, dismasted, or heavily damaged.

This summer, I hope to spend some time hove to in real nasty weather, mainly to determine where I need to set the rudder and sails to achieve that 50-degree attitude that is conducive to eliminating all forward motion, while at the same time slowing the sideways motion to less than 1-knot. By then, I'll have a new Zoom video recorder and I'll try to post some video of Pardy's techniques and how it actually quiets wave action on the windward side of the boat. So far I've only seen still photos of this, but I haven't had the opportunity to put it into actual practice.

These are the type of topics that should be of interest to everyone on the forum. Thanks to those that have contributed,

Gary


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Trav - that's why you should read through the threads I linked to above. Especially in the Heavy Weather thread there are several accounts of usage in serious storms (toward the end of that thread) that I mentioned from reading Hal Roth's "Handling Storms at Sea" book (highly recommended). Though he wouldn't say it specifically in that book, the JSD was the clear winner in his tests and comparisons.

I used to be a Pardy-esque sea anchor proponent. After everything I've read since then, from people that have actually used both in the stink, I'm not anymore.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Smack,

I'll check them out tomorrow afternoon when I get home. My eyes are still blurry from reading the other one.

Thanks for the links,

Gary


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

Smack,

Thanks for the links, they provided lots of information. I noted that using the JSD required some special rigging of additional chain-plates in order for the boat's hull to withstand the increased load. Also took note of the method of retrieval, which to me, seemed to be a lengthy, arduous procedure.

Fortunately, I have a friend that has a similar drogue, probably a cheap knock-off, and I'll play around with it during one of the many summer thundershowers I encounter every season. I'll report my findings on the sail net--good or bad.

Thanks again for the links,

Gary


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## Irunbird (Aug 10, 2008)

Gary- here's someone's idea I stumbled on a while ago. There are several threads on how they attach the bridal to their boat as well, but this retrieval method seems fairly simple and gives you another excuse to go buy more power tools!

How To Retrieve The Jordan Series Drogue

Ray


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

One other interesting thing from Roth's book is a pretty cool retrieval idea for the JSD (retrieval being its Achilles' Heel). Check this out...










The question he has is how the windlass would handle the cones. So who knows? But it's the coolest idea I've seen in a while. Anyone want to test it?


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

Adding more clever gimmicks does not make the process seem simpler to me. Cleverer, less. Less dependent on brute force, yes. Less of a PITA, no.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

AdamLein said:


> Adding more clever gimmicks does not make the process seem simpler to me. Cleverer, less. Less dependent on brute force, yes. Less of a PITA, no.


Okay, how about if I also throw in 3 dancing girls and a humpback midget?


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## Chadfunk48 (Jun 8, 2006)

Make it 4 dancing girls, the humpback, and a shrubbery and maybe you'll have yourself a deal...


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## Chadfunk48 (Jun 8, 2006)

But only if the dancing girls are willing to help pull in that JSD


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

So, lets think about this a second: The purpose of a drogue is to slow the boat and keep it oriented correctly to the waves? If the JSD is slowing the boat to 2 kt and produces tons (literally) of force on the line, why not make it shorter or smaller such that the boat moves at 4 kt and produces less strain on the line? The wind and waves would also be approaching at less relative velocity from the stern at 4 kt than at 2 kt.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I understand the purpose of the long line is to reduce or eliminate the possibility that you fully pull it out of the face of a wave, like a sea anchor is prone to do.


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## AdamLein (Nov 6, 2007)

Minnewaska said:


> I understand the purpose of the long line is to reduce or eliminate the possibility that you fully pull it out of the face of a wave, like a sea anchor is prone to do.


The other purpose is to allow the drogue to engage gradually over a ride range of speeds, and thus reduce dynamic loading. Most of the time, a large fraction of the cones are not in use, but engage when the boat accelerates down a wave face.


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## IslanderGuy (Apr 26, 2008)

I'm intrigued by the fact that, after watching a video of the successful use of a JSD to slow a boat in foul weather and ease the motion successfully, and after they state the retrieval time was about 20 minutes, and so easy they deployed it again in a few days just to be more comfy, there's so much concern about the effectiveness for the JDS and the difficulty with retrieval.

True, if the storm had been much worse, they may have been in danger of getting pooped, or in need of turning the boat into the wind, but it wasn't. Perhaps it's not ideal for all boats, all crews, or all conditions, but for them in their conditions it seemed to have the desired effect and be easy enough to retrieve. I'm impressed, and thanks for sharing the video!

I may try to contact them and find out more info about the retrieval process they used. I don;t have a JSD yet, but plan to have one some day, for just such situations as this (and likely others  )


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

I read all the retrieval information available, and everyone pretty much said it was a real PITA that required the strength of a young athlete--not a shot to Hell 71-year-old man. Now, looking at all the videos, diagrams, etc..., my thought process kicked in and said "Why not just attach a line to the tail end of the drogue and use it for retrieval. This would invert the parachutes, thereby decreasing the resistance substantially. The retrieval line could be tied off to a cleat on the stern's corner, which I believe would prevent it from becoming wrapped around the drogue's main line.

So far, at least for me, heaving too and allowing the storm to pass seems like a much better option. There are several instances in Pardy's Storm Tactics Handbook that relate to boats using drogues attached to their stern with a bridle. Some sank, many suffered severe damage. Lynn Pardy aptly describes typical weather patterns and the onset of storm patterns in the book(s), information that I believe it very accurate--at least in my part of the world. Like I said earlier, I'll give it a try this summer and I'm fairly open minded about these things.

Back to the retrieval. I got to thinking about this again last night. When I spent endless hours offshore in a relatively small boat fishing for billfish and tuna there were times when the action of the lures twisted the fishing line horribly. The only way to untwist the line was to remove the lures and all hardware, then just let the line pay out behind the boat while you cruised toward home port. Well, after about 100 yards of line is out, the reel was engaged and the friction of the line, with absolutely nothing attached, at 5 knots, was just about enough to drag the person holding the rod overboard. Now were talking about 50-pound-test, fine-diameter monofilament line--not half-inch drogue line with a couple dozen 5-inch parachutes attached. Think about it!

Gary


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## smurphny (Feb 20, 2009)

I don't see how a *small*, swiveled float on the end of a parachute type drogue would substantially impede the function. It would probably make it much easier to retrieve as with a sea anchor. Pulling in a series drogue, it seems, would be difficult from either end as the cones would still likely exert quite a bit of drag, albeit less than when going in their functional direction.

My first choice is still the para-anchor, mainly because with an older style hull with a keel attached rudder that heaves-to readily but has little control surfing down the face of waves, keeping the pointy end into the sea still seems like the right thing to do. Having waves break over the cockpit is just not my idea of how I want to deal with a large, dangerous, breaking sea...sorry.


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## PCP (Dec 1, 2004)

I am not a big fan of this kind of systems but it seems to me that this one is the best. With this one you can even control your speed, letting go more or less cones. 

On those conditions I would not have used it (on my boat), I mean with that sea and wind but I don’t know their boat. It seems to me that it is an old hull with a narrow stern and that kind of boat roll a lot dead downwind.

Anyway it seems to me that if he had taken one of the head sails, changed the course to 135/140 of true wind he would have stabilized the boat would not need to deploy the drogue and would be making good speed. Perhaps he just wanted to make a movie about the drogue.

Regards

Paulo


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## justflie (Apr 10, 2012)

Warning, noob here. 

Do you guys ever use actual parachutes (the nylon kind that fall out of the sky) for this kind of deceleration/stabilization work? If so, what kinds do you use? Has anyone considered a ringslot/ribbon canopy? Instead of the typical type of round parachute you think of, this one is made of concentric bands held together with webbing. It would allow water to escape through the slots between the bands. Cargo ringslot parachutes are extremely strong, nylon canopies. They are towed behind aircraft at 150 knots with no damage. Nt sure how they would fair in salt water, but just a thought.

For reference, the one I'm thinking of is 15' diameter. If that's too small, there's also a 28'.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I believe people have used ordinary chutes and they are prone to fail. Purpose built sea anchors have the ability to off load excess force through tear away panels or other openings. Think of it this way. 

The weight of a 1 inch column of air that extends from sea level to the top of the atmosphere is approximately 15 lbs.

A 1 inch column of water that weighs 15 lbs is only 33 ft tall.

The drag and pressure differentials are extreme. The chute should probably take that into consideration.


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## smurphny (Feb 20, 2009)

The type of heavy duty military surplus cargo chutes mentioned in _Storm Tactics_have not been available as far as I was able to find. They were built with very heavy reinforced polymer. That's why I bought a Para-Anchor which is designed to take the extreme loads, proven and tested. Why screw with something like this? The Para (which I hope to never use) is MUCH heftier than a regular parachute. Moving water can exert unbelievable force.


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## theboilerflue (Apr 11, 2012)

Steve has a padeye welded to each of his stern bollards from which he uses a chain bridle and the JSD comes off that, the bollards are welded to the hull (below decks) and doubler plated at deck. They have a great blog at  | 



Irunbird said:


> From Jordanseriesdrogue.com -
> 
> Attachments on the Hull
> The hull attachments for the drogue should be as far outboard and as far aft as possible. I have no information on the ultimate strength of a typical sheet winch installation, and it would be difficult to evaluate each structure. Unfortunately, a winch is not an ideal structure, since the load is applied above the deck line and tends to overturn the winch and pull it out. The optimum attachment for the drogue is clearly a strap similar to a chainplate, bolted to the hull at the corners of the transom and extending aft with a shackle.
> ...


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## meteuz (May 13, 2010)

I don't think the separate retrieval line is a good idea. It might work if you are deploying the JSD for a quick lunch, but if left out for a while my guess is that the line would end up wrapped around the JSD anyway and when you pull it, you would still be pulling the JSD from the front, not the back. That must be why they have elaborate instructions for retrieving the JSD using winches on alternating sides. I have never used a JSD, but I am convinced that it deserves a spot in one's bag of tricks.


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

I used 4 inch sch 40 pipe for the mooring bits on Silas Crosby, ran thru a 12 inch square , 3/16th doubler plate, to a point ten inches below decks , where I welded it on a horizontal piece of plate, which was welded to the transom. You can see this bit in the bottom of the picture, next to the chock. It has a sheer strength of 90 tons.
If there was a chafe problem , one could run a short length of chain around the bit, to take it clear of the hull, where the rope would be attached.
The Silas Crosby has a single aluminium door for a main hatch , which is extremely tough and resistant to any boarding wave. She is also a centre cockpit boat, which makes her even more resistant to boarding waves.
Altho I have never cruised in a boat with a reverse transom, those who have, said they invite, and even launch a breaking wave into the cockpit. The difference between a reverse and traditionally sloped transom is around 6,000 lbs of extra buoyancy in the stern of the boat with the traditional transom. Thus, a reverse transom may be the cause of waves ending up in the cockpit. 
Being a steel hull, she has a fraction the structural worries of non metal boats. 
She has since rounded the horn.
On a fibreglass boat a large stainless U bolt in the corners of the transom, with huge backup plates would be the best attachment points for a drogue.
With the drogue shackled on, thru hard eyes, there would be zero chafe. 
I built my own parabolic drogue from salvaged seat belts ( free) , using a large mooring ball , about 5 ft in diameter , as a mold. I stapled the webbing in the shape of a half sphere over this ball, then sewed it later, while removing the staples. 
A friend on a Fraser 41 , during the queens birthday storm off New Zealand used this type of Galerider drogue with good success. He kept having to shorten the rode to stop it from fouling the skeg, in the troughs, when the line went slack. When it was down to 80 feet , it worked far better, the rode stopped going slack, and they went to sleep til the storm was over. This saves one from having to carry a huge amount of line. 
Boats with drogues from the bow tend to lie beam on, which is far less comfortable and puts far greater loads on the drogue and line.


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