para anchor vs series drogue

[ebb]

Something to note here is that an Ace Sails on the East Coast makes the Jordan Series Drogue ( they seem to be unavailable thru the net.) I haven't compared our 'own' with the Aussie one. Wouldn't know how to begin.

USCG did model and real time tests in 1987 on anchors and drogues to control a small boat in a storm. The series drogue, a series of small openended cones sewn end to end in a line won over the sea anchor hands down ("The series drogue can double in function as a spare anchor line and can use the boat's regular anchor as a weight. (Think I might rig it with the cone noses up!) All 90 cones weigh only four pounds.") The CG considered para anchors dangerous in its test. My understanding.

A sea-anchor holds the bow into waves and wind. A drogue can't do this. A sea-anchor virtually stops the boat, a drogue is not designed to do this. Using a not powerful enough drogue or too small a sea anchor off the bow could cause the boat to ride beam on to the waves and over you go. Lying ahull seems to be dangerous as well. Depends on boat. Getting the sea-anchor in sync with on coming waves and keeping it there is difficult if not impossible. Violent motion and chaff are often reported. Some find it satisfactory including the Pardeys.
Drogues and series drogues allow the boat to continue to run in a controled manner still steering and sailing. They are deployed over the stern. Depending on the drogue, boat, and storm, 1, 2, 3, 4 nm an hour are reported. The Jordan series drogue proved easy to set and retrieve. No complaints for this type are recorded. Drogues evidently work well because some part of the series is usually in the water mitigating the jerking of stopping and going, often violent with a sea anchor.

There is a time when approaching land or a situation where the need "to park the boat until the storm passes" is necessary. It would be wise to also carry one for this purpose. Para-tech recommends a 12' parachute ($775) for an A/C length boat. Practical Sailor's fave is the Fiorentino Para Anchor which is well built and heavy duty, also made on the East Coast, I believe. Pardey's use a type of chute different than the Para-tech to make a slick with their boat, like that, a different method - Paratech has a disclaimer on their site.

Adlard Coles in Heavy Weather Sailing, not recommending one method over another, did say that running was the safest decision.

I found the USCG report here:
http://www.sailrite.com/drogue_information.htm
There is much anecdotal info at 'Cruiser's FAQ by Daschew' - 'Live Aboard Forum' - 'Cruising Discussion Group from SSCA' - 'Cruising Sailor's Forum'. The study above seems to be the only one around and MUST be read by anybody going offshore.

(I think there is a clue here that Sailrite makes a kit that you can sew together to keep from being bored
as you 'sail beyond the sunset and bathes of all the western stars.')