A quick comment for Irwinsailor....
As much as I admire and respect what Lynn and Larry
Pardey have to say about stroem tactics, it is important to understand that storm tactics need to vary with the boat and that the Pardeys sail very unusual boats and certainly one that is at the far end of the spectrum from your boat. There is a huge difference in the behavior of a 30 foot, extremely heavily built, purpose built offfshore cruiser and the behavior of 60 plus foot, production coastal cruiser like your
Irwin.
Lying to a sea
anchor the loads on your boat are enormous. The wave impacts on your bow are huge (visualize dropping an
anchor in 20 foot breaking seas). To visualize the magnatude of the force of the wave action, I have seen boats that have had their stanchions bent nearly flat to the
deck by the force of waves action coliding with them while lying to a sea anchor.
The biggest issue with lying to a sea anchor on a boat like your are the enormous loads imparted into the
rudder at the boat is thrown backwards wave after wave. These loads increase dramatically when the boat lies at an angle to the wave train and when the boat is as large as yours in that loads increase geometrically with size.
Few production rudders,
rudder posts and
steering systems are designed to withstand the abuse implied lying to a sea anchor. Certainly your
Irwin, with its comparatively short rudder post and small bearing surfaces, was never intended to withstand that kind of abuse.
I would suggest that perhaps the Dashew's thoughts on storm tactics would be more relevant to a boat of the size and engineering robustness of your boat.
Respectfully,
Jeff