• Welcome to this website/forum for people interested in the Morgan 38 Sailboat. Many of our members are 'owners' of Morgan 38s, but you don't need to be an owner to Register/Join.

Series Drogue Chainplates

datswite

Ken Ferrari
Wrapping up an earlier thread...

We decided to install our series drogue chainplates along the caprail. My initial thought was to place them along the topsides near the transom, but we've got a diesel heater that would interfere.

So, our chainplates are installed under the pushpit. They're bolted through the deck joint, so there is lots of "meat". Unfortunately, we couldn't fit a full-length backing plate, so we have a series of individual backing plates on each bolt.

There are 5, 3/8", bolts (2 are hidden under the pushpit stanchions) attaching the chainplate - plus the bolts for the cleat and the stanchions. So, a total of 11 fasteners, all with backing plates.

I'm pleased with the location, and, aesthetically, they blend in well enough. You don't notice them from a distance because of their orientation. 20190622_093407.jpg
 
Last edited:
IMG_20190110_100312424_PORTRAIT(1).jpg I like the placement. Here is what I did, with massive backing plates underneath. Just outside my secondary winches. It was not too hard to get under to do the work. Your placement is better, but it must have been difficult to work in that tiny aft locker. Drogue retrieval sound like a real pain. If I go seriously offshore again I will also acquire a "shark" drogue for serious, but not "survival," conditions. Trade wind sailing one is unlikely ever to need the series drogue.
 
I like both methods. Ken's involves more work, removing the stern pulpit, but appears to be very unobtrusive. Terry's looks like a twisting lever arm might be created when under load. Getting to the underside of both for backing plates and fasteners look to be a bear. Where is that midget when you need him??

A friend of ours has deployed a Jordan series drogue from his Valiant 42 once. He said it works like a charm but was difficult to set and retrieve. They had stored theirs lashed down on deck without a cover. When they went to deploy it was extra heavy with the weight of water and hard to handle. Retrieving and storing was not hard but it took a long time.

Jim
 
I like both methods. Ken's involves more work, removing the stern pulpit, but appears to be very unobtrusive. Terry's looks like a twisting lever arm might be created when under load. Getting to the underside of both for backing plates and fasteners look to be a bear. Where is that midget when you need him??
Jim

They weren’t as difficult to install as they look. We did not have to completely remove the pulpit. Just removing the fasteners from the outboard stanchions allowed enough access to install. In addition, the chainplates are only 1/4” thick, and the pulpit was flexible enough to “absorb” the height difference without shimming the other stanchion legs. The aft locker is definitely a snug fit.

A previous owner installed speakers in the cockpit - on the vertical seat back of the helmsman seat. I wish he didn’t, but it is what it is. I removed the speakers and covered the holes with deck plates. Those holes allowed a little access for installing the forward most chainplate fasteners.
 
Back
Top