16mm should be more than enough, as the rope is never going to be bar taut it should never get within a bulls roar of its breaking load.

After some googling and procrastination at work...

http://anchormarine.com.au/index.php/page/allaboutanchors

Therefore I will purchase either...
-100m of 16mm Nylon for $300 or
-125m of 20mm silver p/e for $255

Silver p/e sounds good to my inner tightarse. Who prefers which?

SirJman said..

What size line should I buy for my seabrake drogue on my clansman?

I'm thinking... ropegalore.com.au/silver-p-e-ropes/

16mm = 2120 Kilo average break load. Suffice?!

So just for my own interest, when would you be using your seabrake?

I read they are good in huge seas and gales to slow your boat down and stop it from plummeting into the troughs of waves.

Are you planning some long passages. Wondering whether we should have one ;)

I have always carried 100m of 14mm nylon on my smaller yachts and since it is near new will use it on my 35ft Martzcraft .
I would not go out to sea with out it as Morning Clould said nylon is the way to go mainly for its stretch ability.
While on the subject i also carry a forged galvinised tested swivel so that if need be i can make up a sea anchor out of a sail . Now all i need to do is find somewhere strong enough on the boat to tie it to

keensailor said..

So just for my own interest, when would you be using your seabrake?

I read they are good in huge seas and gales to slow your boat down and stop it from plummeting into the troughs of waves.

Are you planning some long passages. Wondering whether we should have one ;)

The seabrake drogue can be used to...
-Slow way in rough seas (big waves)
-Aid for running downwind/prevents broaching.
-Emergency steering
-Reducing rock while at anchor if deployed vertically abeam
-Aid for vessel under tow
-Bosuns chair

I'm planning a Tasmania trip after Winter, so I'm trying to be prepared as possible.

Ok Gentlemen,

What I would like to know....

Is there anybody on this forum who has deployed a sea-brake/drogue in earnest and did it work?

Why did you use it?

What type did you use?

In my humble opinion, the Jordan Series type drogue is far superior to other types. Bit of info here:

www.jordanseriesdrogue.com/D_8.htm

claverton said..
In my humble opinion, the Jordan Series type drogue is far superior to other types. Bit of info here:www.jordanseriesdrogue.com/D_8.htm

Perhaps... They do look to be a lot bulkier though. Have you got one? Easy to deploy? I was looking on youtube of someone deploying a jordan series drogue, looked like a messy and almost dangerous activity. So I decided for the seabrake to reduce storage space, hazards and its potential other uses.

My thoughts would be that with an appropriately chain weighted para style drogue and the correct length of line you will prevent the drogue breaching and thus providing sufficient breaking capability. That being said I won't make too many more comments on the subject as I havn't deployed one in big seas.

Maybe I'll get to test the seabrake going to Tasmania and record my results for you guys. Although I'm hoping that I will never have to see conditions so rough that a drogue needs to be deployed.

By the way winches are a extremly weak point you are better off making chain plates that fit horizontally on the stern sides as Jorden recomends

I can't agree that the winches are a weak point. My sheet winches are probably the solidest attachment bolted to the boat, 6 or 8 solid bolts through the thickest glassed area. They take enormous loads in heavy weather when driving the boat to windward. The sheet winches are the recommended attachment point for all the steering drogues I have seen.

Mine is a Para drogue (not Para anchor) which are highly recommended but I have only used it to see how it can be rigged so haven't used it in anger. The test videos of it show a quality drogue that rides well, doesn't broach nor tie itself in knots.

I rigged mine as per the instructions. A 12mm rope runs from the sheet winches forward to large blocks mounted just aft of the mast. The rope then run aft to the larger 16mm 70m of rode attached astern. By winching in on one winch or the other I can steer the boat in gentle turns.

http://www.paraanchor.com.au/para-drogues.html

G'day William. Pulling a boat off the beach into deep water (I assume that is what you mean) is not really what they were designed for. Especially as the pull is probably beam on. The highest load a para drogue is likely to put on a boat is about a tonne, there is a table in the link I posted. Over two winches about 500kg each.

A para anchor on the other hand which tries to stop the boat dead when deployed from the bow would put much higher loads on the fittings. Reports I read years ago are that the anchor is often lost because of a gear failure.

MorningBird said..

G'day William. Pulling a boat off the beach into deep water (I assume that is what you mean) is not really what they were designed for. Especially as the pull is probably beam on. The highest load a para drogue is likely to put on a boat is about a tonne, there is a table in the link I posted. Over two winches about 500kg each.

A para anchor on the other hand which tries to stop the boat dead when deployed from the bow would put much higher loads on the fittings. Reports I read years ago are that the anchor is often lost because of a gear failure.

Pulling boats off the bottom could introduce huge loads if the keel starts pushing mud, sand or something nasty and hard on the bottom - think how much load your anchor can take . I think these loads could be massive and have a lifting component in the force vector, compared to a drogue on a high stretch line hanging off the stern.

I would be checking out the reinforcement of the deck area under primaries and if there is some decent reinforcement that distributes the load then should be OK for the drogue. Winches mounted on a combing have the advantage of the combing spreading the load out on a beam structure.

That's a very clever idea with that storage bag, have not seen that photo before. You could stitch up one so that it is long enough when rolled up to double as a bunk cushion. Good sized Velcro patch to stop it flying off in bumpy conditions. I have a No 5 headsail I use the same. [pillow]