# Johnston’s report on GGR and drouges



## hpeer (May 14, 2005)

Quite interesting reading and perspective. 2 sq meter storm jib on a 36' boat. Wow!



> Ropes on their own are not as effective as ropes in a bight. Drogues, although the evidence is that they are effective, have proved unpopular, as sailors have to haul them back in to recover them. Tripping lines, that would allow the drogues to be hauled in from their outer end so the drag is greatly reduced, often become entangled with the hawsers, making recovery difficult.
> 
> Whichever method is used to restrain the boat, the hawsers must be strong enough to take a snatch loading.
> Those who had storm jibs tended to sheet them in tight amidships so that when trying to sail directly downwind, if the boat slewed round the wind pressure on the sail would tend to push the head back down wind. Storm jibs tended to be no more than 2 square metres in size for this length of boat.


https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/GGR-dismastings-Report.pdf#page=2


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

I'll reply when I have read the whole report. Its beer drinkin time.

But the first discrepancy with reality is the oft quoted comment by Sir R KJ ""I heard rather than saw this giant wave and climbed the rigging to avoid being swept away. For one brief inglorious moment there was me and two masts in sight, and
nothing but ocean in any direction for 2000 miles."

Really? REALLY? Unless you were on deck holding the rat lines intending to climb there is no way on earth you could do this.

I am in London right *now* and if I find Robin anywhere I will take him to task on this.

Will read the rest when I sober up.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

The difficulties at higher wind speeds and wave height weren’t surprisingly but the difficulties in 30-50 kts was an eye opener. I have a JSD which hasn’t been deployed in anger. We have checked it out in low 20 kts. Was surprised how quickly it runs out. You definitely need to secure it’s holder and allow for a free run. We used the powered primary to get it back with no sail up. Got easier as time went on. Was taken aback how it’s unpopular with many due to difficulties with retrieving it. Expect this with parachute sea anchors and their variants. I’ll never be in the Southern Ocean. I’d like to think I would deploy the drogue and be able to wait until seas and wind moderated so I’d have a chance at retrieving it. 
Thanks for sharing this. Thought provoking.


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## hpeer (May 14, 2005)

Morgan’s Cloud is a proponent of the JSD. They did a write up on why Suzzies drouge failed.

I think that for most of us their approach is over the top, and I’ve had that discussion on their site.

I’ve never used a drogue so I’m an armchair expert but here is my understanding.

A “normal” drogue is designed to slow one down, somewhere between 2/3 knots and 6/7 knots. A JSD provides significantly more resistance. Some recommend having a drogue AND a JSD so you can step up your resistance as conditions get worse.

I’ll describe what I have, not because I planned it but because it’s the way things evolved.

1. 300’ of 7/8” double braid
2. 600’ of 7/8” double braid
3. A Galerider
4. A Sea Break

The way I see it is I can progressively increase resistance like this.
1. 300’ bight
2. Add the 600’ in a bight
3. Reel in the 600’ and add a drogue to it
4. Reel in the 300’ and add a drogue to it
5. I have a small hank on head sail for my inner stay, not 2 sq meter, but we are 40,000 lb.

What I like about this approach is that the line has multiple uses, I could anchor in 400’ of water if needed if I added this line to my normal rode.

The drogues can serve multiple purposes. This year we were pitching badly at anchor one night, I deployed the Sea Break off the stern and it calmed things noticeably. Would probably help with roll also.

I met a gentleman who lost his boat, got pooped and lost his engine. His analysis is that he had the drogue out too early, it slowed him too much which encouraged the pooping. That kind of goes along with the idea of keeping some headsail up and sufficient speed for steerage. 

Just my ruminating. Food for thought and comment.


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