Re: [Paddlewise] Sea anchor to prevent boat blowing away?

Mr Tex wrote:
> 
> Anyway, the question that arose in my mind was this - would a sea anchor /
> drogue sufficiently slow down the egress of the boat?  If so, could it be
> rigged such that if one wet-exited, the sea anchor would then deploy?  The
> idea being that the sea anchor would present a lower chance of entanglement
> than a person-boat tether.

To answer the question: Yes, a sea anchor would do the trick. The
technical implications might be more of a problem:

If the anchor is attached to the bow or the stern, so that the boat will
align with the wind, I think a small anchor would suffice. The boat
doesn't have to be dead in the water: It just must be slowed down so
that a swimmer can reach it. However: Since the release mechanism, set
off by the exiting kayakker, must be in the cockpit, the bow or stern
might be a difficult place to attach the anchor.

If the anchor is attached near (or in) the cockpit, it would have to be
much bigger, giving a risk of entanglement while reentering. After
reentering, the anchor should be hauled back into the boat (don't leave
your junk floating around) and, if possible, set up for the next
capsise. This might be difficult. Don't forget you have to do all this
in the same conditions that caused your capsise.

The release mechanism is a problem in itself. A sure release system that
only releases when the boat is upside down, full of water and no
kayakker in the cockpit...

I prefer my leash.

Niels.


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