Weaving Back & Forth at Anchor

[Fuss]

Well, we are part way through summer now, so i just thought I would check if anyone else had now tried a drogue on the anchor rode as we discussed at the end of last summer.
I have not had a chance to try it myself but I am very interested to know any new experiences.

[MarkJ]

We ahve decided its not worth the hassle. Every boat champs at the bitt anchored.

We can't feel it inside or in the cockpit so don't notice it.




Mark

[nelson.peter]

John --

We purchased a 24" fishing drogue for our 45' Jeanneau last year and use it regularly at anchor in big winds. It doesn't "fix" the problem, but it does dampen our swing.

[zeehag]

easier to use instead of a drogue would be to rig a steadying sail from the backstay--is what the weather cloths emulate--the boats that tend to yaw most are fin keel with spade rudder--and the anchoring rode over one side of the bow. i use a bridle on my ericsn and it wont yaw as much anymore--the formosa doesnt yaw--lol...full keel and attached rudder....i use a bridle with her also..i donot like unilatereal stressors on the boat......

[nelson.peter]

The advantage of a drogue over a steadying sail, as one poster pointed out to us last year is you usually need one or the other when the wind is really strong. And putting UP more sail in those conditions is counterproductive.

That was the main reason he chose the drogue. We have been satisfied with it. It has dampened our swing. We still hunt quite a bit, but not as much. We usually stay within the tabs of the hawk (=/- 30 deg.).

[swagman]

A year old post resurrected and thanks for that feedback Peter.
Now the thread has come back into view it is interesting to see concensus in the thread from ALL those who have actually used a drogue clipped to the chain.
Each HAS experienced reduced swing. Great. I was beginning to think we were imagining things on our boat.

Plus worried that all those who have never tried one out would eventually convince the world it can't work!

JOHN

[mrohr]

what is top hamper? if you have problems at anchor,wait untill you are in a real blow at sea,get the wind surfers etc off the fore deck.Condos do not like a blow on the nose.

[roger.waite]

Many thanks for the ideas in this thread. As usual, we each have to try what makes sense to us and keep what works for us.

The general rule is get more resistance in the water at the bow (hence drougues & buckets), and/or more windage astern. So I guess I will be lashing up the bucket, or lashing out on that $20 drogue.

There are some exceptions to every rule. My boat sails and gets pushed over less in storms if I drop my boom onto the side deck. I think it reduces yaw by giving bias to one tack. So b*g**r the theory. It helps a bit, so I do it.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by swagman

Plus worried that all those who have never tried one out would eventually convince the world it can't work!

JOHN

Hi John,

I have no doubt that a drogue would work
For us I am in the too lazy phase of my life

BTW we copped a 2 or 3 hour squall from the wrong direction last week that put us on a lee shore with a 2.5 nm fetch.
About 30 boats anchored, and about 30 tourist Gulets stern to on the lee town dock.

Sitting in the cockpit having a sundowner and notice the wind change 180 degrees and think 'hello'... 10 minutes later 38 knots and boats dragging like you've never seen before! Probably 10 dragged in the anchorage... then the tourist Gulets all decided to get the hell off the dock at the same time... No crossed anchor chains

Absolute pandemonium for about 30 minutes.

We were fine and had 5x depth down and I didn't let any more out as I wanted to see if we would drag.

As soon as everyone had gone, or had remained secure the wind started to drop. How does that happen?

Its all good fun when nothing bad results!

I love having that secure feeling when on the pick


Mark

[Lancerbye]

I ran across this post while reading older posts. I usually favor the new posts. I have to thank Gord May for his article on anchor spring lines. My boat sails back and forth at anchor as soon as a small breeze comes up. I had tried several small triangle sails etc. to stop this. I don't really mind the weaving except that it interferes with my tv watching in the evening. I recently tried the spring line to anchor trick and it works great.I am presently at anchor as I type this and the boat is sitting as if it was tied to the dock. I owe you one Gord.

[swagman]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Hi John,

I have no doubt that a drogue would work
For us I am in the too lazy phase of my life

BTW we copped a 2 or 3 hour squall from the wrong direction last week that put us on a lee shore with a 2.5 nm fetch.
About 30 boats anchored, and about 30 tourist Gulets stern to on the lee town dock.

Sitting in the cockpit having a sundowner and notice the wind change 180 degrees and think 'hello'... 10 minutes later 38 knots and boats dragging like you've never seen before! Probably 10 dragged in the anchorage... then the tourist Gulets all decided to get the hell off the dock at the same time... No crossed anchor chains

Absolute pandemonium for about 30 minutes.

We were fine and had 5x depth down and I didn't let any more out as I wanted to see if we would drag.

As soon as everyone had gone, or had remained secure the wind started to drop. How does that happen?

Its all good fun when nothing bad results!

I love having that secure feeling when on the pick


Mark

Why do the last line in small letters - had to get my glasses to ensure you'd not left out a letter.

But we too once parked up close by a small Sunsail Marina near Ohanyi (excuse spello) a few years back, as were anticipating a storm. About to go ashore for a cleansing ale when it rocked in from nowhere around a mountain - and in five minutes we were seeing 65 knots over the deck.

As our stern was less than 50 metres of the rocks behind and we had only just found the drogue solution to our sailing around issue, I have to say we sat out the short blow in the cockpit with barely a beer changing hands.

Stunning experience. We watched a dinghy fly for at least 10 minutes in a horizontal postion off the stern of a big HR alongside - before it inverted and dived. Increadibly noisy as this blow rocked the trees around us as well as the boats.

It all went around 2 hours later. But once gone we saw every one of the Sunsail boats had been smashed back onto their outer pontoons with quite a bit of damage, plus quite a few piles were leant over to almost 45 degrees, and yet our little drogue trick kept up 100% head to the winds. Used it ever since - and I am just as lazy as you.

Oh yes. It took 20 minutes of heaving back and forth to get the anchor out of the mud before we could leave the following morning.

Cheers
JOHN

[rtbates]

turn it around Jordan Series Drogue - Mooring and Anchoring

It works!

[swagman]

Originally Posted by rtbates

turn it around Jordan Series Drogue - Mooring and Anchoring

It works!

Sorry Randy I am not a supporter of hanging my boat stern to the elements. We've not got a canoe stern so for us it is noisy, uncomfortable movement, hard to swim from, blowy in the cockpit - frankly it sucks.

We'd already trialled Gords suggestion of offsettingthe bow using a second line, and that did work to a fashion. Whilst the wind continued we moved over to a settled spot on one side and remained relatively stationery. But when the wind dropped off the boat would drift back to an inline position - and scope of movement did present problems in the crowded anchorage.

But once someone suggested the drogue on the chain, and finding it works for us - it's no worries now. We're OK thanks.

Cheers
JOHN

PS We did trial hanging another skippers series drogue from the stern and BTW, that did not work. Just made it worse.