They're designed to let you drift, just a little slower than you would otherwise, so you can go trolling for fish. They're almost like a rudder in that if you're not moving fast enough they do almost nothing. If you were on the coast and drifing into rocks good luck. I actually tried one. I used a medium sized on and maybe a really big one might have worked better but I doubt it. These are big PVC cones with a large hole at the end so they work kinda like a windsock in the water. The real sea anchors look like a full parachute (no hole, flatter like a disc rather than a cone, and a bunch of small lines at the perimeter, lighter material). A real sea anchor has MUCH more holding power than a fisherman's drogue and if you size it right your're close to dead in the water (with a very slow drift compared to a drift anchor). You feel like you're moored on a bouy (but you are drifting very slowly). It's too bad since the cone drogues are generally not only cheaper but also less tangle prone since it's easir to tangle a parachute rigged setup than the cone setup which typically only has 3 to 5 web straps from the cone to the anchor line. That said, tangling of the lines doesn't seem to be a problem with a real sea anchor unless you were really sloppy when stowing it.

If anyone else has any experience with these various options please share it.

Jerry

[quote
Why not just drop the whole rig, mast, sails etc, wait for the storm to pass, then rerig the boat and sail home. [/quote]

You guys are no fun, someone was supposed to say "how do you put the mast up while out at sea" then I get say "its easy with a rig like this" and post this...


Our rig actually came down last weekend due to operator incompetence on my part, we were about a mile out and did indeed manage to put it all back up and sail home.

Gareth
www.fourhulls.com [/quote]
Gareth,
Is this you project finally complete ? I cannot see the hulls - the photo is too dark ? And your site has not been updated

Dermot.

Hi Dermot,

It is certainly getting closer to completion, I think there is still alot of work to do though, we are pleased with the way it sails, it could do with being a bit faster, we have quite small sails at present 2x 7m, we are going to upgrade to 2x 10.3m thats 220 sqft.

I don't have any really good pics of the hulls, but attached are a couple more, I can't seem to get the black hulls to photograph very well!

I will endevour to update the website this weekend.

All the best

Gareth

That is one nice looking boat! When sailing off the wind, do you put the sails to the outside like a wing and wing fashion? I know that would be slow. How does the sails affect the tramp area? It almost looks like on either tack the sails would be in your way.

Clayton

I got one of your pictures lightened up in Photoshop and have attached it (I hope), so you can see the four hulls.

OK Gareth, I give up... Where do you sit? How do you hike out/trapeze?

Oh, I get it - it's for pygmies!!!

Hi Gareth,
That's great. That rig looks really classy. I look forward to seeing the sailing shots.
Seeing that rig reminds me of the question that people with windsurfing background always ask me: With all the new technology around, why do catsailors still fasten their battens with bits of string Do windsurfing type adjusters really add that much more weight ? The ones in the photos look very streamlined. Having asked this question, I have to say that I know nothing about the technicality of windsurfer rigs.
Wouter - Only one paragraph

See ya,
Dermot.

How much does the whole piece of kit weigh, Gareth? How have your trials gone?

As you've apparently done such a great job of making a radical piece of thinking into a reality, how about a thread dedicated to discussing your progress - I for one would be really interested and I'm sure others on here would be keen to know more too!

So, why are we not using camber inducers on cats

Dermot.

I have tried to answer this on a new thead so as not to hog this one

http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho...sed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

Ah 4keel drive! Sorry could'nt resist .

Now that is funny (Or is it just that I have had 4 glasses of wine )

Nope...not the wine - that was hilarious!

Morning Folks:

Keep in mind that I sail on the very cold Great Lakes, and frequently sail solo.

In terms of the "Rambo PFD" I carry: 'waterproof' VHS radio--which is really only water resistant (kept in an actual water proof bag); a three pack of small 'waterproof' Skyblazer flares--each flare contains its own launcher---packed in a double Ziploc; on the outside front of my PFD attached to the PFD's built in lash point a short, blunt tip scuba knife---which also has a hand lanyard; in various pockets: a signaling mirror and an emergency safety whistle; a stainless steel multi-tool; and a laser flare (which is attached to an automatic retractor leash). At the rear of my PFD, I have a battery operated strobe light attached to the PFD's built in lash point. If you have never looked into the laser flare concept, I strongly encourage you to do so. The laser flare is visible over long distances...can be seen both in day or night...and they run for time periods from 15 to 72 hours. According to some sources the laser flare is 8,000 times brighter than a flashlight at 1,000 feet and effective up to 20 miles away, day or night. The medium size version of the laser flare is small enough to put inside your PFD. Regular cost for the laser flare is around $100; however, right now the National Geographic has laser flares on sale. The Rescue Laser Flare that uses 2 N cells is on sale for $54.95 instead of the normal $99.95.

In terms of sea anchors, in my humble opinion they are too expensive and oversized for beachcats. Instead I carry two different sized Drogues (the smaller one goes on my H-16, the larger goes on my H-18) depending upon the boat and/or weather conditions. The smaller drogue I bought from Boat US for around $40. The larger drogue was made by one of my friends who is handy with a commercial sewing machine. In terms of using the drogues (material cost around $50), it is extremely important to make sure that you use nylon line: at least 25% of the load will be captured by the rode alone. Second you must construct a bridle to handle the heavy load---I am not sure how long a dolphin striker would hold up. Third, be sure to allow yourself plenty of rode...the longer the rode the less violent will be the shocks you and the boat experience. Lastly, YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE A FITTING BETWEEN THE RODE AND THE DROGUE WHICH WILL ALLOW THE DROGUE TO SPIN. In a couple of boat experiments I tried, when the drogue does not have the ability to spin around, it simply kinks up the line until the drogue will not effective catch water any more.

In order to carry my drogue and other safety equipment(flares, paddle, drogue bridle/rode, waterproof light, etc.) which I keep handy on my H-16 boat tramp, when I had my new bias-cut one piece mesh tramp made...I also had them install a mesh "Safety Pod" (Paul's nomenclature) on the bottom of the tramp. I designed the "Safety Pod" to be accessible (via zippered openings) from both the top and the bottom of the boat. The Pod allows me to have a single place to store all of my safety stuff, let's me immediately see if I have forgotten to put anything into it, before I leave the launch area; and keeps me from having to open one or both of my hull ports (which just might be underwater at the time) to facilitate any self-rescue efforts. The "Safety Pod" was not inexpensive to add to the tramp, but if you have ever experienced a situation where you need to use your safety equipment "Right Now" (Been there, done that...way too many times) you may find the investment to install a "Safety Pod" to be a real life saver.

If you would like to see pictures of any of this stuff, let me know and I can post some digital pix.

Paul

Hi Paul,

Great information, thanks. If you've got pictures of your safety gear and safety pod implementation I'd appreciate seeing them posted.

Is the Laser Rescue Flare available on the National Geographic web site?

What kind of strobe do you attach to the rear lash tap on you PFD; amazingly I'm having trouble finding a strobe that has a built in lash tab clip.

Regarding the sea anchor, I agree with you that most are way too big. However, the companies that make these will often custom make them for you in any size you want. The smaller ones are much less expensive than the bigger ones (but they're still pricey). The one I use has a 5 or 6 foot diameter I think but the material is so thin (even though its very strong) that it folds down into a small pouch of about 4" x 6" x 2". They also sewed in a small amount of flotation into one edge of it which further prevents it's spinning and also keeps it near the surface so it won't sink. I fully agree with the need for a decent length of rode and the need for a shackle with a rotating head.

Thanks,

Jerry

Evening Jerry:

Yes the laser flare is on sale at the National Geographic site. Last time I checked they still had them on sale.

I will upload pix of all the gear sometime tommorow. Once you see the pictures, if you have any questions, drop me a line.

Good Holiday Sailing!

Paul
Milwaukee, WI

What is the difference between a sea anchor and a drogue? I'm just curious, because I have never quite understood it. I am thinking that a drogue is something you drag behind your boat when you are running away from the wind and that a sea anchor is deployed from the bow when you are facing into the wind and just drifting backward.

Is that correct? And what is the difference in how they are constructed and what they look like?

Mary,

You are correct about the use of the drogue and the sea anchor. I had to look it up in Chapman. They are both cone shaped. The sea anchor has a small outlet opening to allow some water to flow. It is used to keep the bow into the wind and minimize drift. The drogue has a larger outlet opening and is trailed off the stern while under way to prevent broaching and yawing. The drogue is secured forward of the rudder post to maintain manueverability.

Howard

Regarding sea anchors and drogues, I'm certainly not an expert on the subject, but I do know they are not all cone shaped. Over the years many effective differently shaped sea anchors and drogues have been implemented and proven the test of time. Just as there's many different anchor designs. I bet each design has benefits and drawbacks just like anchors. As I mentioned in my earlier post, many sea anchors including the one I use are shaped just like parachutes. In fact, it is my understanding that some early sea anchors were surplus army parachutes.

Jerry

Jerry,

I am sure you are right. There are different shaped sea anchors and drogues. In fact in Chapman they say you can tie anything that will drag to a line such as planks, floats etc. The basic shape they describe however is cone shaped (also hemispherical) with a hoop to keep the cone open.

Howard