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GaleRider Drogue, sea anchor

Mitchell S Allen

Mitchell S Allen

Active Member
I don't know if this will be relevant to anyone else here, but...

I'm planning on sailing from San Francisco Bay to San Diego and joining the Baja HaHa rally to Cabo San Lucas.
In prepping Sonata, I'm going over all the equipment and so on. When we purchased her she had a lot of safety gear because they'd raced the Pacific Cup.
The GaleRider, 36", was laying on the bottom of the port cockpit locker all these years. So I pulled it out to Inspect it and found the cable which holds it open when deployed seemed broken inside.
I've read about this happening, but upon further inspection and opening the stitching I found the 3/8" galvanized cable intact and fine.
The connection between the two ends had disintegrated to granules. Gone completely.
I considered several ways to re-join. Cable Clamps, to much chafe. I tried to find Nico press sleve without any luck.
What I settled on was a short length of 3/8" id steel tube I had in the shop. Cut it down, deburred, and applied Six-10 epoxy to the cable and tube. Put both ends in and then crimped it with a battery cable crimper. Coated it with galvanized paint and stitched it all back inside.
It should last quite a while. And I'll know how to repair it, if it fails from electrolysis again in the future.
I hope this helps anyone else with the same issue.
Mitchell
 
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Mitchell

If you were to find yourself in conditions where you would be contemplating deploying the Gale Rider, how would you do it? From the bow as a sea anchor, or from the stern as a drogue?

Jim
 
Fortunately I've never had to make that choice. I hope I never do. I don't think this GaleRider has been deployed in anger.
Anyway, I think it would depend on the sea state and our intended course. I think I would tend to heave to first and then in that circumstance would lead it from the bow if needed. But running off, it would be from the stern.
I've also watched them being used to steer from a bridle.
I doubt the trip planned will see any of the kind of weather that might necessitate it's use. But I'll have it in the safety "Tool kit" anyway.
 
On a sail from NY to Bermuda years ago, on a 38' LeCompte, we were faced with 35 kt winds from 35 degrees off the stbd bow and 20 ft seas coming from South East and also from the Southwest. During daylight we could see the wave patterns and could steer into and over them accordingly. After dark we couldn't read the waves and found it impossible to steer correctly. We had a Gale Rider on board and debated how to deploy it. In the end we decided against using it and chose to heave to with a triple reefed main and a small storm jib. We laid hove-to for 5-6 hours. During that time the boat took care of itself (and us). The crew was able to get some sort of rest. By daylight we had drifted 8 miles backward and could sail again towards Bermuda as the storm faded. Afterwards, over beers, we debated what we did right and/or wrong. The hove-to tactic always had the argument settled as the right decision.

Jim
 
I would tend to agree heaving to is the right tactic too. Now, I don't have personal experience in any situation like that mind you. But it just seems to make sense. Like you said, the boat did well and so did you.
Perhaps Warren or Terry will chime in with their experiences.
 
First, I may also be on the Baja Ha Ha. Haven't signed up yet. Second, I admit that I have never tried to heave to in the Morgan. I think the LeComote 38 is a full keel hoat. That mskes heaving to much easier. I should do it, of course, as a trial, but whenever there is enough wind to try it, we are on our way somewhere snd on 't want to rig up the storm jib. i hope the ADAVIDA would heave to with a storm jib and perhaps a triple reefed main. On sea anchors and drogues: I have a Jordan Series drogue and attached great big chain plates to attach it to. It is for serious conditions, towed aft. I may have a chance to test it coming down the West Coast this September. But I hope not.
 
Terry
I have hove-to with the Morgan a number of times, but never in desperate conditions. Mostly just to test the sequence or to stop for a lunch break. The boat always laid quietly and securely. As both you and Mitchell have noted, I rather not have to do it in some big stuff.

Jim
 
Terry! I hope you don't get to test your JSD. I hope to see you on the Baja HaHa too!

Jim, thanks for that info. I am planning to practice heaving to on our way South.

I have a storm jib that mounts to the short inner fore stay, and a trysail on a dedicated track on the mast. I intend to hoist them both soon to check and try them.

I've researched the JSD a lot. Mostly on the AAC site.
They appear to be the best of all drogue options to me. I can't justify the expense at this time. Since I have the GaleRider, I'll keep that ready anyway. There again, hoping to never need it.
Mitchell
 
I have friends who had occasion to deploy the Jordan Drogue under very bad conditions in the Med. They reported it worked as advertised when set from the stern but was difficult to retrieve back on board afterwards. From things I've read, the Gale Rider is even harder to get back on board. Here's hoping the crews of both of your Morgans have safe journeys and that you never need to use all the safety gear you have on board.
Enjoy the Baja HaHa.

Jim
 
I have hove to in heavy conditions as well as deploy the drogue "in anger." In fact, both at the same time. It was on approach to American Samoa from the North. Night, about 30+ knots and big seas. Eliana was sailing through it just fine, but the entrance to Pago Paga has a reef, and I didn't want to attempt that at night in these conditions, so I wanted to slow down.

In order to truly heave too, you need to have a small jib (unless conditions are mild). With my 130%, even furled to what would be a 3rd reef, I was still making about 4.5 knots progress. I think the issue was that when furled so small, the 130% would have a lot of depth and shape to it, and wasn't flat. The boat was stable and sailing fine, but I really needed to stop.

Deploying the Drogue was no problem at all. I attached it to my backup anchor rode, which was 30 feet of chain followed by a couple hundred feet of rope. This is the preferred setup, so the weight of the chain keeps the drogue from popping out of the water. I put the anchor line on the winch, and led it off the stern of the boat with no drama. About 2 boat lengths back. Easy Peasy. The boat slowed to about 0.5 knots, and we arrived Pago Pago in daylight and calm conditions.

Getting the darn thing back on the boat was something else, and pretty dangerous. The rope was bar tight. I was able to winch it up to the chain without a problem. But there wasn't any chance it could be brought in further by hand. That is when I learned that chain works on a winch too. I ended up continuing to winch it until it was lifting out of the water off the stern.

Getting it back on board was scary enough that I will think long and hard about every deploying it again. It would certainly be worth figuring out how to rig a trip line for retrieval.
 
Warren, thanks for your input. Lots to learn here! I have a couple 3/4" x 250' seconary anchor rodes. I figured on having one on Sonata. Thoughts?
 
I would definitely keep a secondary rode on board. Not only for an anchor, but for the drogue, or as a very long line to shore if you need it. I keep in in this bag which makes it easy to deploy and restow, eliminating any tangles etc.
www.westmarine.com

Anchor Rode Bags | West Marine

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My secondary anchor is a Fortress. I forget the size, but a bigger one. It is kept disassembled in another bag that is easy to stow.
 
I have a Fortess as well, disassembled in a bag in the anchor locker on deck. I'd planned on carrying the secondary rode there as well. The main rode is stowed thru the Windlass in the locker below so there is enough room. Main anchor is a Vulcan 20kg. Sonata also has a big Danforth on the stern pulpit with about 250'. Think this should be enough, lol.

Mitchell
 
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