Using A Sea Anchor

[peterbo3]

Afternoon all,
With the weather on your side of the world getting warmer, lots of people will be going over their boats.
Down this way we are lucky in that we can fish offshore every day if the wind isn't ripping through.
As we sometimes fish up to 30 miles out, "must have" items are EPIRB, safety gear, VHF & sea anchor.

A sea anchor is a parachute that works in water. It is designed to slow a boat down in WINDY conditions & when deployed from the bow, will head the boat up into the wind & waves. In calmer winds, it will slow a boat down so that you can fish with a lighter sinker or work a drift line more effectively. The sea anchor will not work when a boat is being pushed along by tide or current alone, as the anchor will be traveling at the same speed as the boat. You need some wind to move the boat faster than the water it is floating in otherwise the sea anchor can not exert any drag.

This is the sea anchor I use. Packed in a small bag alongside a 6" float & some 1/2" line.


This pic shows the shroud lines knotted to prevent tangles in the bag. The red 1/4" line also lives in the bag & is used to "trip" the parachute when it is being recovered.


Laid out ready to deploy. The float keeps the parachute just under the surface of the water which ensures maximum performance from a straight pull. Trip line is attached as is the main line. This has been set up to slow the boat down whilst fishing in breezy conditions. The diameter of this chute is 4' & will handle a powerboat up to 24'. It is made of a heavy synthetic material which is UV stabilized & triple stitched.



Sea anchor pumping. The parachute has filled & is working as it should. The trip line has not been attached as the main line was only 30' long.
In a survival situation, the anchor line would be let out a considerable distance FROM THE BOW. NEVER DEPLOY THE SEA ANCHOR FROM ANY PLACE OTHER THAN THE BOW IN A SURVIVAL SITUATION.
That distance depends on wind strength, wave period, boat size & profile. This is where the trip line is important. If you let out too much anchor line & you feel that the boat would ride better on a shorter length of rope, the trip line will allow you to recover line easily. No trip line will make it nearly impossible to shorten the main line. A longer line will often provide a less jerky movement as the line will stretch as the parachute pumps.
This is a link to the maker. Some interesting reading here.
Sea Surface Anchors. Para-Anchors Australia Pty. Ltd.

[Prodigal Son]

Good post. I had a line break with a sea anchor deployed on the other end and being the young/dumb/broke person I am, I dove in after it, which I immediately regretted, and then further regretted when trying to swim up current, with a giant piece of nylon tagging along.