Sea Anchor for Trimaran

[Tri]

Hi, I wanted to see if any of you has experience using a sea anchor with a trimaran? Thanks

[tenchiki]

Check out the Drag Device Database: Victor Shane's Drag Device Data Base | Using Parachutes, Sea Anchors and Drogues to Cope with Heavy Weather – Over 130 Documented Case Histories

[Tri]

Great hint and link. Lots of really good info. Thanks a lot ! Highly appreciated.

[Tri]

PS It has a great Trimaran section with live reports.

[jdazey]

While I've read a lot of negative views of parachutes on multihulls on this forum, John and Joan Cassanova had great success with their parachute. This was well before the current supply of commercial products; I believe they used a 24' ex-military chute. I find Joan's accounts pretty convincing. As a result, we have both a parachute and a series drogue.

[Tri]

The question for me is, how will especially a trimaran deal with the situation during a storm because it feels that beating into big waves is not necessarily a strongpoint of trimarans structurally. For that it may be better to use a drogue and run downwind (with all the downside and limitations of that). Any thoughts or personal experience?

[FSMike]

I don't necessarily agree that tris are too weak to beat into waves, but anyway when you are lying to a sea anchor you aren't beating into waves, you are pretty much staying in one place while the waves roll by under you.
When the Casanovas deployed their sea anchor in a storm at Cape Horn, they said conditions were so improved they just stayed in the cabin and made tea.
Ideally I would recommend both a sea anchor and a series drogue.

[Tri]

Thanks Mike, I agree that the information about Casanovas Tobago Two sound very convincing (especially if you need rest) but I still wonder if that remains to hold true for todays modern tris?

I guess it also depends on the trimaran but they are typically very light and due to swing or folding mechanisms (if they have that) more fragile. In steeper sea it feels like being on a rodeo horse going upwind. Compared to the two Catana 50 I have been sailing the last 15 years they are definitely more fragile when heading into waves, especially during a time where a sea anchor may be considered.

[FSMike]

The Casanova's tri (Tortuga Too) was a plywood Horstman.
It was stretched by the designer for the Casanovas from 33' to 35' (I think), maybe 35' to 37'.
I'm not sure I would want to take a folding tri across oceans, but it has been done. I think an F-27 went across the Atlantic.

[Tri]

This is a DF 1200 crossing the Atlantic

http://www.dragonfly-trimarans.org/p...6a8c9cc0c92921

[andres]

I think Tortuga Too was a Tri-Star 39, previously they had had a Tri-Star 35 named Tortuga.

Originally Posted by FSMike

The Casanova's tri (Tortuga Too) was a plywood Horstman.
It was stretched by the designer for the Casanovas from 33' to 35' (I think), maybe 35' to 37'.
I'm not sure I would want to take a folding tri across oceans, but it has been done. I think an F-27 went across the Atlantic.

[boom23]

It is my understanding that for multihulls a sea drogue is preferred over a sea anchor. You might want to do some searching.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by andres

I think Tortuga Too was a Tri-Star 39, previously they had had a Tri-Star 35 named Tortuga.

Your info is probably correct, I knew Horstman had stretched one of his designs for them but couldn't remember how much. I imagine he then used that redesign as a stock plan.

[jdazey]

Originally Posted by FSMike

I don't necessarily agree that tris are too weak to beat into waves, but anyway when you are lying to a sea anchor you aren't beating into waves, you are pretty much staying in one place while the waves roll by under you.
When the Casanovas deployed their sea anchor in a storm at Cape Horn, they said conditions were so improved they just stayed in the cabin and made tea.
Ideally I would recommend both a sea anchor and a series drogue.

In a separate thread I asked about the suitability of Dragonflies for ocean passages, and the response was positive (DF1200). The classic non-folding tris, Brown, Cross, Horstman, have a long track record of passage making. Horstmans in particular were very carefully engineered. I have never heard of one built according to plan that broke up.

I also found Joan Cassanova's accounts convincing. Joan is not someone given to hyperbole.

Originally Posted by boom23

Re: Sea Anchor for Trimaran
It is my understanding that for multihulls a sea drogue is preferred over a sea anchor. You might want to do some searching.

There are many opinions on this. We carry both a parachute and a series drogue.

Joe

[Tri]

Hi Joe,

Have you ever used the sea anchor (maybe just to practice in moderate wave conditions)? Would be great to understand if a tri can take a cross wave under sea anchor or if the light built structure of a "modern" tri is better taken care of running before a drogue. Thanks.

Cheers
Achim