Re: [Paddlewise] Fresh water lake paddling

On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 9:34 AM, Doug Lloyd <douglloyd_at_shaw.ca> wrote:

>
> Other than slowing a kayaking and giving it control in extreme surf, what
> are the practical benefits of carrying a drogue or sea anchor in a kayak?


Strictly speaking a drogue is deployed from the stern and a sea anchor from
the bow. I have not found sea anchors to be very useful when I've
experimented with them. From our sailboat a sea anchor invariably held the
boat beam-to the sea which I attributed to the location of the mast forward
of the center-of-effort of the boat. In my old troller the result with a sea
anchor was much the same but we had trolling poles which may have acted just
like a mast. I no longer have a sea anchor but if I get one I'll try it from
the muthah-ship and see how that reacts.

I have deployed lines in a U-shape from the stern but since both of my big
boats were double-enders I never thought there was enough bight in the U to
really do much. A drogue made by sandwiching an old automobile tire between
boards (secured together through the middle) works well according to reports
I've heard and read about. Probably not effective on a kayak though. :P

The advantage to a sailboat in surf is that you can rig a storm jib in the
fore-triangle which would reduce the tendency of the boat to broach in a
following sea. The combination of drogue and a storm jib.


> I suppose a good sea anchor would help stop you dead in the water more or
> less (notwithstanding current) if you got caught in an offshore wind and
> perhaps blue water kayakers doing long crossings where there's a possibility
> of extreme storms, but other than that, is it worth carrying one?


As I indicated above, I've never found a "sea anchor" (deployed from the
bow) to be effective in keeping the bow into the sea. It would probably slow
you down a lot but the risk of a capsize in beam-seas would be incrased. I
wouldn't carry one unless you could also deploy it as a drogue.

Rob's idea of using a drogue seems to me to be a lot more practical. I
wonder if he's ever experimented with it as a training exercise. I think I'd
also try a large-diameter (3/4" or so) length of line (poly might be best as
it floats) as a drag device. If you can secure the line with one end port
and the other starboard you would have a U for maximum drag and it would be
a *lot* easier to undeploy (just let one end loose).

>
> Kayaking seems to be the antithesis of the luxury motor yacht and
> world-class sailing vessels with every imaginable gadget and luxury in many
> cases, the kayak being measured by the essential minimalism while the
> former, the opposite. I'm trying to cut down on gear, not add more. I've
> long considered a slowing device but most offshore wind situations I need
> every second to power back in, not mess around with devices. Similarly, in
> extremis, fidgeting for a device and or finding adequate storage compounds
> the issue unless I was in a big Klepper. Guess you'd just call the
> Mothership - sorry, Muthaship. :-)


Using the muthah-ship can actually simplify kayaking. You no longer need to
carry food and shelter in the kayak, for instance. This means you can use a
smaller kayak which would (presumably) be more nimble in the rough stuff. No
more paddling 10 miles to a good place to explore either. You can have spare
paddles handy but not have to carry them. Safety is enhanced if you have
someone on the mothership who can up-anchor and come to the rescue or use
the higher-power VHF with a better antenna to summon help. The downside of
the mothership idea is that the temptation to put gadgets on the big boat
can be overwhelming. Just as an example, I bought a 400w inverter from
Wal-Mart for $49 just before we left last week so we could keep our iPhones
and the portable VHF charged up. It's not much but it's still another
gadget. Solar panels, big screen GPS (I have a Garmin 3006 ready to
install), radar, depth sounders, etc.

I think that barring incapacity (as Rob mentions in his post) the fewer
things you have to fiddle with on your kayak the better. (Although I do like
the idea of the "sea seat" you use... too bad no one makes them any more.)
In Brit-boats you will need all your skill just to keep the boat upright in
extremis. Yet another reason I like the Coaster/F-1 concept.


Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
www.nwkayaking.net
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