Bryan,
That closeup shows a very impressive and strongly made cone. It has convinced me.

What is the natural disposition of the drogue off the stern? IE could it hang straight down and get into the propeller of the outboard? Is this an issue?

Is the weight at the end actually an anchor? What would you recommend for the Ariel? What's ideal?

Without the weight on the end, perhaps the drogue would be something very useful to hang on to in a man overboard situation!? A singlehander here on the site trails a polypropylene trip line to pull a rope ladder attached to the lifelines down into the water.

Wonder if the drogue could be rigged in the pushpit in a sunbrella bag ready to go, except for the weight? A drogue in a non-storm situation might help slow the boat down if it's sailing without the skipper?