Cool idea steering with a drogue

[Sirzones]

https://youtu.be/H7X0wwGTtM0

Cool idea to try in case your rudder gets damaged
I think I’ll try this this summer

[Fi2010]

Type drogue steering on YouTube and it pulls up all kinds of videos showing the use of storm drogues for emergency steering.

[slugsgomoo]

Definitely not an uncommon solution- it's actually an acceptable alternate steering method for the Swiftsure race rules: (citation/details)

[GoodShipLolipop]

I actually watched a video recently where this came up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz3cLRiEmzo

They lost their rudder about 50nm from land. Drogue steering was one of the methods they tried. They found it to be much harder on a boat that had actually lost its rudder, compared to one where you had merely locked the rudder in place to practice the technique.


I think I had to find an update to get the reason for their rudder failing. Stray current going through the shaft, ate right through it in a matter of months.

[psk125]

Might tend to slow you down a LOT. Other methods might be more efficient if you're able to work one out.

[ChrisJHC]

I’ve done it in practice.

Takes a while to sort out the angles and the best way to run your lines.

Once rigged, could steer pretty well, particularly in combination with using the sails to steer as well.

Didn’t seem to slow us down too badly.