Today was a very interesting day for me! I was asked to partake in making a video comparing storm drogues, also known as sea anchors. We unpacked and repacked several of the well known drogues that are available to us sailors today.
This video turned out to be a great learning experience for me. I was able to take different drogues, unpack them for the very first time, and then figure out how to deploy them, and then repack them for stowage aboard our boats.
What I learned was how many varieties of storm drogues are on the market. By opening them, on the non moving dock, and then repacking them, I was able to learn which ones were made well, how easy or difficult they were to deploy, what type of hardware and materials were used, and how much effort it took to repack the drogues. I never knew there would be such a difference in all these important factors when choosing the right storm drogue. I kept thinking, this is something everyone should do before purchasing a storm drogue. Just like man overboard drills, above all this gives great practice for when the time comes in having to use a storm drogue at sea when conditions will be very difficult with boat motion, wind conditions, attitude of the crew, and amount of urgency there will be.
You can see my Full 30 Minute Video here or the 2 Minute Teaser here.
To further your knowledge of the different types of storm drogues on the market today check out this YouTube video from a couple of years ago that shows the various types of storm drogues.
This will begin your education. By seeing a video and actually practicing with these drogues, as I was able to do today, I became much more familiar with everything I should look for when purchasing one for my boat. Believe me this will, perhaps, someday be the smartest thing you have done before sailing away on your life’s cruising adventure.
-Pam
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