Prepare now while the weather is fine & the sailing is peaceful.
You'll be glad you have this drogue for when the weather and seas are miserable!
Speed-Limiting Storm Drogue
with Bridle Lines, Heavy-Duty 5/8" Gal. Swivel,
and Dacron Storage Bag
ALL BRAND NEW !
A "MUST-HAVE" EMERGENCY ITEM !
Doubles as Man Overboard Retrieval System
32" Diameter by 48" Deep
Best For Boats displacing from 15,000 to 40,000 lbs.
(But can be used with boats displacing more or less than this.)
This drogue is a $750.00 + value!
(Compare it to the “Galerider” on the internet.)
• Better than a traditional Sea Anchor in Storm Conditions
• Easy Launch, Easy Retrieval, No Trip Lines
• Rugged Construction
• Easy and Compact to Stow
• One of the Best Defenses Against Heavy Weather at Sea
A Speed-Limiting Storm Drogue is towed off the stern to stabilize and slow the boat in severe conditions and in strong following seas. It assists in steering, reduces the boat’s angle of yaw, and helps avoid broaching and pitch-poling.
Ever since the early days of sailing in storm conditions, sailors have used the tactic of towing some type of a drogue - a traditional sea-anchor, a trailed warp, or even ground tackle in order to slow their boats down. Many vessels that survived storms would have gone down had it not been for some sort of drogue that slowed the boat down and kept the stern to the wind.
In a severe storm, if it is necessary to run downwind under bare poles, you do not want to allow the boat to move faster than the waves. If it does, you run the risk of climbing up the back of a swell, going over the crest, and sliding down the face into the trough. Unfortunately, that often results in a broach, which causes the boat to turn sideways in the trough, broadside to the seas. The breaking wave can then crash into the boat, thereby damaging it or rolling it over completely. You do not want this to happen to your boat! Instead, you want to slow the boat down and let the waves pass safely under the boat.
Most bluewater sailors would agree that the traditional, conical, webbed design of the drogue offered here is one of the best possible designs for a Speed-Limiting Storm Drogue. The webbed construction slows the flow of water instead of simply blocking it. In that way, the stresses created during sudden acceleration (as when the boat runs down the face of a monster wave) are dissipated, without creating a shock load. Such shock loads have been known to rupture conventional sea anchors and to strip attachment hardware from the deck. This drogue provides high resistance to eliminate surfing, yawing, and pitch-poling tendencies; yet it is elastic enough to reduce stress on the boat and gear.
This design also preserves the ability to steer, since water flowing through the apertures of the webbing allows you to maintain the two or three knots necessary for good steering control. Even in the trough of a wave, it continues to provide low resistance for steering control, making it possible to set and keep a downwind course.
In addition, the webbed design results in a drogue that can be deployed smoothly, provides positive control, and is easy to retrieve without trip lines. Simply pull the drogue back aboard when conditions have calmed. At very low speeds this drogue offers very low resistance.
Moreover, this storm drogue is VERY COMPACT TO STOW. When rolled up and stored in its dacron storage bag, this very large storm drogue with its lines and swivel compacts down to an efficiently small bundle of about 4" D x 12" L x 14" W. It takes up very little storage space and is readily usable for immediate deployment in emergency situations.
This very heavy-duty Drogue is designed for the most severe conditions. It is constructed with high-strength, very durable, non-rusting materials and is manufactured with craftsmanship of the highest quality:
* Webbing is made of: 1½” heavy-duty, Military-Spec. (MIL-W-17337) Woven Nylon (tensile strength 2,200 lbs)
* Rim contains ¼”, 7 x 19, type 302/304, flexible stainless steel wire (breaking strength 6,400 lbs), and is covered with 2" Nylon Webbing Military-Spec. (MIL-W-17337) Woven Nylon (tensile strength 2,200 lbs).
* Intersections and seams are triple or quadruple stitched with multiple rows of heavy-duty, water-resistant, high-strength thread.
* There are (8) ½” Solid Brass Grommets around the Rim for the Bridle Lines.
* (4) 81" Bridle Lines, made of 7/16” Premium White Braided Nylon (breaking strength 3,000 lbs; working load limit 300 lbs.) attach the swivel to the Drogue's Grommets.
* A Heavy-Duty, 5/8” Galvanized Swivel (Work Load Limit 5,200 lbs) connects the drogue's bridle lines to a deployment rode leading from the boat. (Deployment rode not included.)
* Comes with a lightweight Dacron Storage Bag and Deployment Instructions for the drogue.
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Although specifically
designed for storm survival, the Speed-Limiting Storm Drogue has these other
uses:
1. Towed off the stern with a bridle, a Speed-Limiting Drogue can be used as an
emergency steering device to yaw the boat if steering fails.
2. Towed off the windward quarter, a Speed-Limiting Drogue can help maintain
directional stability while negotiating a dangerous harbor entrance.
3. Towed off the stern of a vessel in tow, a Speed-Limiting Drogue can all but
eliminate the "whiplash" effect and contribute to better control by the towing
vessel.
4. Affixed to the end of the boom, in a man-overboard situation, it can be used
to lift a person aboard even under extreme conditions - and even if the person
is weakened or injured. This is possible because of its extreme stability
and its large basket volume.
5. It can even be used to lift your dog aboard!
If you cruise bluewater far enough and long enough, you will encounter storm situations that require a drogue. My husband & I lived aboard and cruised our 43 foot sailboat for more than 10,000 miles in a 5 year period. We had our share of scary storms at sea. We designed this drogue with safety and affordability in mind.
This is a MUST-HAVE EMERGENCY ITEM for anyone considering any bluewater cruising. Don't leave port without one aboard!
This Drogue and everything that comes with it is BRAND NEW!
Shipping in the
For international shipping, you can check above under "Shipping and Payment" or email me the country and postal code for the shipping rate.