Parachute Anchor

I read a couple of good books on Storm tactics. One was a classic work on storm tactics "Adlard Coles Heavy Weather Sailing" , and the other the "Storm Tactics Handbook"by Lyn and Larry Pardey. They were both gripping reading because they contained numerous accounts of sailors in all varieties of yacht battling to survive frightful storms, and detailed discussions of the various tactics that can be used. I found the Pardeys writing very persuasive - they advocate heaving- to and using a parachute anchor rather than trying to run before the storm. Running before the storm can enable you to actively steer the boat to safety if its within reach and thus avoid the killer breaking waves which can roll the boat and wreck everything. However this requires great skill and more than anything great strength and stamina to stay out there in the elements for a long time if shelter is days away. But it might be feasible if youre on a racing yacht with a fit and highly experienced crew who can share helming duties. But that will never apply to me and Sapphire.

On the other hand heaving- to means you are somewhat at the mercy of the waves - or so you would think - but in fact with a parachute anchor deployed the boat is held in its most seaworthy posture, facing the oncoming sea. Not only that, by slowing the boat almost to a standstill, the storm will have sooner passed you by than if you run with it. Meanwhile you conserve your strength and sanity below. Whats so persuasive about the Pardeys recommendations is that they have actually tested all their theories in serious storms - they discuss for example measuring the rate of drift when heaving -to with and without a parachute anchor in winds of 75-80 KNOTS !

I decided it would make sense to get a parachute anchor, and ordered it from Alby McCracken at Para-Anchors Australia : This from their website:

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A Matter of Survival

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Read this as if your life depended on it!!!

Mother Nature is unforgiving. For ultimate survival at sea Para-Anchors Australia manufactures a range of sea surface anchors to suit all ocean going vessels.
*Proven Heavy Weather Defence
*Knockdown Protection for Conventional Sailboats
*CapsizeProtection for Multihulls and Powerboats
*Damage Control for Disabled Powercraft
*Aid to Search and Rescue
*Many Sizes to Fit all Sea Going Vessels
*High Tensile Strength - All Nylon Fabric
*Easy to Stow, Easy to Deploy, Easy to Retrieve
*A parachute sea anchor is the ONLY device available that is capable of holding your bow to the wind, allowing you the safest and most comfortable position to ride out any storm. What you see here is from the left hand edge, the last bit of heavy duty rode - the thick white cord- ending at its attachment to a sturdy metal swivel which has the yellow bag for the parachute. Then you have all the lines radiating out from the swivel to the periphery of the 'chute. From the apex of the chute a fine white retrieval line is connected to a large buoy and a smaller float. The idea is that to retrieve the anchor you pull the chute on board first using the retrieval floats.

When I ordered my parachute anchor Alby McCracken reminded me to get it all set up on the boat before setting sail. What he suggested was attaching the bitter end of the rode at the bow and then leading the rode back to the cockpit, using thin cable ties to hold it to the lifelines. When needed you attach the parachute to the rode from the safety of the cockpit then launch it over the windward side again from the cockpit. The rode will gradually pay out till the last bit gets pulled free of the cable ties and there you are, the parachute is coming off the bow. In the photo below you can see the lines running along the outside of the port lifeline, up to their attachments to 2 heavy newly installed cleats at the bow .You will also notice the inner forestay clipped to the port chainplate.

I plan to test out launching and retrieving the paraanchor some day soon. I also need to think of chafe protection for the para anchor lines where they pass across the toe rail - and I might experiement with the Pardeys view that if the bow is pointing about 50 degrees off the wind the boat will handle the sea more safely and more comfotably. They do this with a bridle coming off the rode and back to the yacht.