Re: [Paddlewise] Drogue plus paddlefloat?

-----Original Message-----
From: Clyde Sisler <clyde_sisler_at_email.msn.com>
To: 'Paddlewise' <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net>
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 1999 4:27 PM
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Drogue plus paddlefloat?


>>A sea anchor or drogue has a problem in that with most boats it won't hold
>>the bow into the waves. Because the boat is still drifting backwards a
>>little what happens is the boat yaws to one side or the other and balances
>>out more like 30 to 45 degrees off center. If you put several boats tie
>
>Much better than being 90 degrees, no?


Yes but not nearly as nice as straight into the waves as most people
imagine.
>
>>you put a big drogue off the stern. Tip: put a float on the drogue so it
>can't sink. It's a real pain to pull one up from any depth.
>
>
>Omagawd!  You don't mean my paddle float do ya?  :-)

A fairly small float will do, just enough to keep it from sinking. The float
also helps to keep it from spinning.

>
>I thought you pulled some kind of trigger line/leash thingee on the
>commerical drouges/sea anchors that collaspes them before pulling them in.
>Or I guess maybe it's attached to the tail (skinny end of the funnel) so
you
>kinda dump the water out of it before pulling it in.

That is another way to retrieve them but requires an extra line which can
get tangled with you, the kayak, the drogue, or the other line (which is
another good reason to try and keep it from spinning). Boulter of Earth
makes or made a large commercial one that (I believe--I haven't used one)
inverts the drogue from the center and pulls it back into a long sleeve on
the deck.
>
>Oh, I get it.  It might sink while deployed.  I thought the weight of the
>boat would keep enough tension on it to keep it on/near the surface.  I
>suppose wave action could cause slack that would allow it to sink some.
>
>>anchor but I doubt it was very effective. My experiments with about a 15
>inch diameter mini-liferaft sea anchor showed I needed something much
>bigger. I later made one that was two feet on each side (of four
>triangles)that worked much better (at least after I put a float on it).
>
>
>Gee, even I could sew 4 triangles together.  Some kind of sail material?

I used ripstop coated nylon but just about anything that sinks and is
resonably strong would do.
>
>The top of each triangle was 2 feet or the drouge had a 2 foot diameter?
>
If I recall correctly I used 60 degree triangles about two feet on each
side. Made loops to fasten four lines to at the end of each stitch line. The
four lines joined together 3 or 4 feet in front of the drogue and one 20 to
30 foot nylon line leads back to the kayak. I used something lighter than
parachute cord but parachute cord might be better. A line light enough to
stretch to absorb shocks but heavy enough not to break even if holding
several kayaks in a line would be my criterion.


>I presume the stiching wouldn't have to be too tight, just strong.
>
>How open/tight is the tail?  I presume openness = drift.  Is that
>desireable, assuming open seas?

I made a hole on the small end of the funnel but put a drawstring on it so I
could adjust it for best performance. I don't remember how my tests went but
it has had about a two inch diameter hole left in it for years so I must
have settled on that. With the float it all rolls up into about a 4"
diameter ball. I have carried it on trips for years but never had to use it
in earnest. I can deploy it by hooking it into a rotating bow line that runs
from the cleats in front of my cockpit to the U-bolt at the bow. By rotating
the bowline I can make it operate as though it is attached to the bow but
actually tie it off at the cleat in front of the cockpit so I can release it
quickly or cut the line if need be.
A description of the rotating bow line set-up can be found in our "Owners
Manual" under "Bow Painter".
I made mine for emergency use, like finding myself in darkness off the coast
with a big swell and surf running. My plan was to paddle out to sea set up
the sea anchor and hunker down into my kayak to get some rest.
The quicker deployment of the Boulter of Earth product makes it ideal for
those beating into a headwind that need to stop for a short rest, water or
food break to prevent loosing that hard earned ground (er, water?).
Matt Broze
www.marinerkayaks.com



***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/
***************************************************************************