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

From: ralph diaz <rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 14:40:15 -0400
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Fereira" <jaf30_at_cornell.edu>

> > > ... 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 ...
> >
> >This thread has grown on me!
>
> Yes, these kinds of threads can be fun.
>
>
>
> >The idea of the auto-release sea anchor sounds like a potentially very
useful
> >safety device in conditions so severe, relative to the paddler's skill
and
> >emotional or physical state at the time, that they could force her or him
> >actually to exit accidentally.
> >
> >
> >The anchor should be released as soon as the spray skirt pops, in my
view.
> >This would cut down on the amount of drifting the empty boat could
> >potentially do before the anchor is fully deployed and able to hold the
boat
> >back effectively. A simple pull-pin "velcroed" to the spray skirt might
do
> >that job in combination with a "Drift Stopper" (anchor-in-a-bag) type
set-up
> >for the anchor. Will have to work on that idea a little ... Keep It
Simple,
> >Stupid comes to mind ...
>
> I was thinking of something that attached to a loop on a PFD but attaching
> to a spray skirt would works as well.  As I thought about this, I thought
> that this is essentially a temporary boat tether (since, even if it were
> attached to the spray skirt, the paddler is also attached to the spray
> skirt) with an auto-disconnect. SNIPPED

I have a DriftStopper but have not used it in years.  While nothing is
impossible, it would really be hard to deploy a sea anchor in such an
automatic way.  The Drift Stopper requires you to pull the sea anchor chute
out of its storage case and then physicallly throw out the float line that
then helps the chute open up once in the water.  It isn't all that hard to
do but it does require some steps and manuevers.

ralph diaz

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Received on Thu Apr 11 2002 - 11:39:16 PDT

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