Storm Tactics

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Jmolan

..in fact the Aleutian Islands make awsome summer cruising grounds (all to your self)......:-)

Yes, I've always wanted to do them. But I will have to wait till I get the right boat. And, yes, right in the middle of summer!

I wanna have a kodak moment with a Kodiak bear!

Mark

[Wotname]

Appreciate the comment - thanks

[sneuman]

Reopening this thread: I have recently read the Pardeys book and I think they make very good sense. Next time, I will have a para-type sea anchor aboard.

[Angel Louise]

I appreciate that folks are unsure what solution for severe storms, especially 'survival storms' works best.

We had read the Pardy's book on Storm Tactics as well as met with them and also attended a program they gave touching these questions. There is more than one means of solving problems, but eventually you may reach a level of danger only one method works best in. I previously bought a full para-anchor, but have never continued studying the topic. I am a physics nut fan though, and eventually came to the conclusion there was a better solution.

You can read about it on the web site Jordan Series Drogue for free. There has never been a loss with anyone using it. You cannot say that about any other solution.

The US Coast Guard made extensive studies of the problem and their report is on the web site I included above. After reading it all, including the great work, DRAG DEVICE DATABASE I ended up selling my Paratech Sea Anchor and we bought the kit for the Jordan Series Drogue that is sold by Sailrite.

We feel the absence of chafe and the passive nature of the JSD, together with its proven safety record justified having it aboard. Ed

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by Angel Louise

I appreciate that folks are unsure what solution for severe storms, especially 'survival storms' works best.

We had read the Pardy's book on Storm Tactics as well as met with them and also attended a program they gave touching these questions. There is more than one means of solving problems, but eventually you may reach a level of danger only one method works best in. I previously bought a full para-anchor, but have never continued studying the topic. I am a physics nut fan though, and eventually came to the conclusion there was a better solution.

You can read about it on the web site Jordan Series Drogue for free. There has never been a loss with anyone using it. You cannot say that about any other solution.

The US Coast Guard made extensive studies of the problem and their report is on the web site I included above. After reading it all, including the great work, DRAG DEVICE DATABASE I ended up selling my Paratech Sea Anchor and we bought the kit for the Jordan Series Drogue that is sold by Sailrite.

We feel the absence of chafe and the passive nature of the JSD, together with its proven safety record justified having it aboard. Ed

Angel, respectfully submit that in a catamaran you may well be correct. In fact, as I understand it, the series drogue is basically your only reliable storm tactic. For us "half-cats", it's different.

[goboatingnow]

In my opinion, ( and I have the pardy book)and based on my experiences with modern "production" boats in some hairy storms, I cant see the advantage of a para-anchor at all, even less the hove-to method.

Lets look at Hove-to. Most modern fin kneel boats will not hove-to for any length of time. Try it youself, the boat will inevitably tack through teh wind and start sailing or will fall off and start sailing. Also they tend to sit almost beam on and its a dangerous orientation. In my experience, boats will hove-to in conditions that dont threaten them anyway and its a useful mechanism for relieving tired crew, but I doubt its survival atributes.


Para-anchors ie, off the bows , I have no direct experience, but the shock loads are huge and I doubt that anything is strong enough


Drogues, and I include trailing warps in this sector are things I have experence of, however they are not in themselves survival techniques, they are aids to teh basic survival technique of running off before the wind, ie the active survival school of techniques.

I also had haqd very good reports forereaching into big seas under small amin and low revs engine. thats a very good technique

[docgav]

I, also respectfully, would suggest that if you can anchor in 50 knots you can sea anchor on a parachute in the same on any boat. My read of the Pardy's book is that they used paraanchors that were undersized. You do not anchor normally off the front at an angle. You should not have any back drift under the paraanchor, rather move with the current. The bow takes the load, the minimal wind and water impact is off the bow, and a good length of line takes away any jarring. My personal experience is having used a paraanchor and 150m braid four times in fury, including one cyclone and two storms. My boats were all multihulls - 40ft cats. I have never used a series drogue and if it stops the boat from any downwind drift then I really is another sea anchor anyway.

[Angel Louise]

Different strokes for different folks.

I am a believer that if you prepare you are better off than the many that do not.

Whatever your choices, I would encourage anyone to take a look at the two web sites and read how both monohull and catamarans have fared in survival storms with different types of drag devices. You can see a fair number of summary update reports for free from the Drag Device Database at their website giving many reports from boaters like us at:
news
The reports are fascinating to read.

There is also a wealth of information that would surprise most readers on the Jordan Series Drogue site. You can read it for free at their web site, and they have copied the USCG study on the matter and analyzed many boats that came to grief. See it at:
Jordan Series Drogue
It too is fascinating and gives good tips for sailors.

I have owned the Paratech Sea Anchor and the Jordan Series Drogue.

There are some good lessons for all of us, if we are interested in looking at the experience of others who have gone in harms way and analyze their experiences.

[Hud3]

There've been some previous discussions here on this topic. Here are links to a few of them for those with a little time on their hands for reading...

Multihull storm tactics?

Storm Management for Cruisers

Heavy Weather Catamaran Sailing

Heavy Weather Tactics and Equipment

Jordan Series Drogue vs Para-Anchor?

Series Drogue

interesting info on setting a para anchor