Just wondering if anyone used Burke drogue as sea anchor for overnight open sea stops. And if there are suitable for this compared to Para anchor.
At the moment I'm using drogue while on Brisbane River to stop my boat ( S & S 30 Defiance ) hunting when wind and current are at opposite.

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Kryspen said..
Just wondering if anyone used Burke drogue as sea anchor for overnight open sea stops. And if there are suitable for this compared to Para anchor.
At the moment I'm using drogue while on Brisbane River to stop my boat ( S & S 30 Defiance ) hunting when wind and current are at opposite.

Hiya Kryspen,
I've never tried to deploy a drogue at anchor, that's certainly different. I hope it is well marked and traffic can see it, I wouldn't think of looking for a drogue in the river off an anchored vessel.
I've used a ss bucket slung off the transom on a short strop, it slows it down but doesn't stop it.
The best I have seen was a gent that had a single cone from a Jordan series drogue attached to the rode at the rope-chain shackle, he sat near plumb one night when I was veering all over the place. I had a chat to him the next morning about it, it was the first time I had seen it and it seemed to work a treat.

Keep in mind your spacing to your neighbours, you don't want to be the only one not swinging when everyone else is.

Or you can nick two witches hats off the side of the road.
Also works well.

Well, I'm trying to get some solo experience and overnight break and quick nap.
Not sure how good it can be using Burke drogue. I know that i would drift rather than just stop. Never done this before.
On opposition tide and wind on Brisbane River works very well keeping my boat steady without hunting left and right.
Thinking of sailing Southport to Byron and back with overnight stop at Byron if possible and back to Southport before going further up the coast.
My probably problem is night sleep. This is why I'm not sure if drogue give me some nap time.

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Kryspen said..
Well, I'm trying to get some solo experience and overnight break and quick nap.
Not sure how good it can be using Burke drogue. I know that i would drift rather than just stop. Never done this before.
On opposition tide and wind on Brisbane River works very well keeping my boat steady without hunting left and right.
Thinking of sailing Southport to Byron and back with overnight stop at Byron if possible and back to Southport before going further up the coast.
My probably problem is night sleep. This is why I'm not sure if drogue give me some nap time.

Aah.... Sorry, that makes more sense.
Yes, a drogue would provide stability, so it makes sense for peace of mind for offshore napping. Working on the theory that sleep as often as you can but for short periods, banging a drogue in and out is awkward. I'd be leery of setting a drogue and going to bed for 4 hours.
Other options for short handed offshore rest time could be:
- heave to. drift rate is typically sub one knot, so loads of time and comfy.
- continue under pilot/vane (dependent upon pilot/vane).
A defiance 30 would be good at both. Run or beat on broad angles to make it easier.

Moving and offshore.... have a very loud dumb alarm you can set on a 20 min timer. You don't have to fully wake up when it goes off, just stick your head up, look around, then reset the alarm and go back to sleep. At 4 knots, you are only covering 1.3nm in those 20 mins, so little chance of being surprised by errant traffic.
I'd be doing this regardless of what boat mode I use.
Cheers!
SB

Will try cat napping

There is a lot of marine traffic on the east coast , trawlers, ships, fishing boats. The predominant winds are on shore, so you would want to be well off shore, plenty of boats have ended up on the beach. I would want at least a radar reflector, AIS and a well lite boat, not just a tiny mast head light. Most of all, sleep no longer than 20 minutes.

could also try heaving to works amazingly well the small amount of hell stops the boat wallowing and you dont make as much leeway we often use this when waiting between races when sailing short course have also done it several times when arriving at an anchorage to early to enter

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Jode5 said..
There is a lot of marine traffic on the east coast , trawlers, ships, fishing boats. The predominant winds are on shore, so you would want to be well off shore, plenty of boats have ended up on the beach. I would want at least a radar reflector, AIS and a well lite boat, not just a tiny mast head light. Most of all, sleep no longer than 20 minutes.

I do have AIS on my chart plotter. Looks like deck light switch on as well.

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boty said..
could also try heaving to works amazingly well the small amount of hell stops the boat wallowing and you dont make as much leeway we often use this when waiting between races when sailing short course have also done it several times when arriving at an anchorage to early to enter

Agree, done heaving to before. My boat respond well with main only. Did try with headsail but it just didn't work well.

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Kryspen said..

Jode5 said..
There is a lot of marine traffic on the east coast , trawlers, ships, fishing boats. The predominant winds are on shore, so you would want to be well off shore, plenty of boats have ended up on the beach. I would want at least a radar reflector, AIS and a well lite boat, not just a tiny mast head light. Most of all, sleep no longer than 20 minutes.

I do have AIS on my chart plotter. Looks like deck light switch on as well.

As long as your AIS is transceiver so other boats can see you. We have had ships approach us from the rear and they actually change course to go out round us. Having said that a lot of trawlers and pro fishing boat don't run their AIS as they don't want their competitors seeing where they are.

Interesting use of the drogue in wind over tide situations, with a heavy displacement vessel it may not be effective. I find that making the tiller off hard to one side tends to drive the vessel along side her mooring.